The local population count of WM

[Deleted]

What impression does the show give as to the approximate population size? Not Schuyler, but WM. 

150? 500? 

[pinkbaker07]

Everyone knew everyone there. The school seemed small so maybe 300?

[goodnight]

It seemed confusing at times. Because it looked like Mrs. Brimmer's house was on a town street and the nearest town was Rockfish. But if she lived and ran her boarding house in Rockfish why did she walk miles to shop at Ike's store. Curt and Mary Ellen's house and clinic also looked like a small town street. So was the community of Walton's mountain just the area around Ike's store, the school and the church or was there more.

[pinkbaker07]

How far was Rockfish from WM?

[Easton]

Nov 27, 2021 12:03:49 GMT -5 goodnight said:

It seemed confusing at times. Because it looked like Mrs. Brimmer's house was on a town street and the nearest town was Rockfish. But if she lived and ran her boarding house in Rockfish why did she walk miles to shop at Ike's store. Curt and Mary Ellen's house and clinic also looked like a small town street. So was the community of Walton's mountain just the area around Ike's store, the school and the church or was there more.

I  read this question and simply passed over it, but then I started thinking about it. Her rooming house had to be within walking distance of Waltons Mountain or, at least Ike's. Flossie didn't have a car until Ben sold her one at the end of Season 5. And since Miss Hunter walked to school and back, and young Jim-Bob walked there to ask her about his birth, it had to be close.

[flossieskid]

I am surprised and quite impressed that fans pondered such detailed questions like where my Mom (Flossie’s) Boarding House was located? I only visited my Mom a few times on the set and none of the scenes were shot in the “boarding house”. I never saw its facade or porch which have shown up on the show.

I only remember one episode where my Mom was walking up her front steps and Zeb was there and excited to tell Flossie that he had fixed her rocking chair, I think. Flossie was concerned that one of her boarders, Zuleika Dunbar, played by Pearl Schear, was being overly “friendly” with Esther’s hubby! As my Mom opens her screen door and walks into the boarding house, her face says it all: “Zeb - you stay away from that ‘hussy.” Flossie was watching out for her good friend, Esther.

But, didn’t they have a shot of Flossie walking up the sidewalk to the boarding house? I thought during that shot, you could see the house was located on a residential street as there were other houses in the background. I could very well be mistaken, but I thought for sure it was nestled with other homes.

During the Depression, didn’t many people rent out rooms in their own homes just to help make ends meet? I think it was Brenda who sent me a photo of the sign which I assumed advertised the boarding house. I never saw that sign either in person or any of the episodes.

I’m sure Flossie lived within walking distance of Ike’s because where else could Flossie go and gossip?! So, if she could walk to Ike’s and we sometimes have seen John Boy riding their horse down to Ike’s to pick up the mail or supplies, the good old boarding house was not anywhere Walton’s Mountain.

[Easton]

^ Flossies house was shown on screen a number of times, both inside and out. I'm sure there is a scene in which Flossie is sitting on her front porch having a quiet moment with her sore feet (and a cool drink) when Olivia walks up to sit with her. Some time later, John drives up the house-lined street in the truck and parks in front of the house.

I also remember an scene in which Flossie comments that she had to convert her house into a rooming house after her husband died so she could 'make ends meet'.

[Brenda]

I imagine the interior of Flossie’s boarding house was filmed on a soundstage, and the exterior was likely one of the houses on Midwest Street on Warner Bros backlot. In 2012, Earl Hamner went with a group of us who were there for a Waltons Reunion and pointed out some of the house facades and buildings that were used on The Waltons. I have photos somewhere. It would take me awhile to find them. I did find this video of the WB official tour of the Midwest Street area.

[wacokyd]

Schuyler, VA, is the hometown of Earl Hamner and is known as Waltons Mountain on the TV series. It is located on a less-traveled road about 25 miles south of Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia and where the college exists that John Boy attended on the show. Schuyler today has a population of around 290.. The closest town to Schuyler is Rockfish where many stores and Sheriff Bridges office were located on the Waltons. But Rockfish is not even a town as opposed to Schuyler and is known only as a Place of Population with no official population which makes you wonder if it's even as large as Schuyler. The closest town of any size to Schuyler is Scottsville located around 10 miles down the road on the James River with a population around 600, This town is mentioned in the episode where Elizabeth is taken to the hospital after breaking her legs while falling off some logs. I visited Schuyler in 1975 while the series was being filmed and found out where Earl's home was located after talking to a woman working at the Post Office. At the time his mother still lived there along with the youngest son played by Jim Bob on the program. Needless to say, I was embarrassed to knock on the door which goes against what I've heard about Mrs. Hamner being so receptive to strangers visiting her home. 

[Emmy]

Isn't there a scene when Jim Bob is running a fishing business and he goes outside on the sidewalk outside of Mrs. Brimmer's Boarding house? I think Mrs. Brimmer greets him at the upstairs window of the boarding house and they do business about the fish. Then John Boy pulls up in his car on what looks like a paved street. It definitely looks like Mrs. Brimmer's boarding house is in some sort of community much different than where the Walton family and even where Ike lives and his store is. 

I don't know what the distance is between the two of those places, but the streets are dirt going from The Godsey's store and The Walton House and definitely outside of Mrs. Brimmer's Boarding house it was a paved street with sidewalks.