The Little Colonel Game, 1930s

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Annie Fellows Johnston and the Little Colonel Stories

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The Little Colonel Game
This game board corresponds almost exactly to the 1930's map of Lloydsboro Valley done by residents of the valley to assist Hollywood for the 1935 Little Colonel movie.

Click for a large view

While we're at it, we thought you'd like to know this particular game board pictured above currently resides at the Little Colonel's cottage (Home of the Little Colonel) and was sent to us by its current resident, Sally Tanselle.

At one time, Selchow & Righter, the makers of Parcheesi, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, ranked with Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley as one of the nation’s top three game board companies. They introduced The Little Colonel game in the mid-1930s to capitalize on the popularity of Fox Film’s “The Little Colonel” movie. The game board was one of many Little Colonel merchandise spin-offs after the film premiered in 1935. Little Colonel dolls, clothing, cards, paper dolls and handkerchiefs were some of the other items produced that are highly prized by collectors today.

The Little Colonel game board was drawn by Hattie Cochran’s first cousin, Louisville advertising man Karl J. Smith and depicts “Lloydsborough Valley, its homes, churches and other points of interest,” according to the explanation inside the box. We know that many of these “points of interest” were actually part of the stories, including Locust, Tanglewood, Oaklea, the Episcopal Church, the Home of the Little Colonel, Undulata, The Beeches, the Gables, Edgewood, Spring Glenn, Beechmore, “Stumptown” Baptist Church, the Home of Gay Melville, the Post Office, the Inn, the Presbyterian Church, Lloydsborough Seminary, Clovercroft and the R.R. Station. Delacoosha was important because it was while staying here that Annie Fellows Johnston met the inspirations for her very first book in the series, “The Little Colonel.”

Game pieces, shown below, were based on characters featured in the movie and included Fritz (5 points), the Little Colonel’s Scotch and Skye terrier; The Little Colonel (35 points) Lloyd Sherman; Old Colonel Lloyd (30 points), her grandfather; the Little Colonel’s mother (25 points), Mrs. Sherman; Walker (20 points), the Old Colonel’s man-servant; Mom Beck (20 points), the Little Colonel’s nurse; May Lilly (10 points), the Little Colonel’s playmate; and Henry Clay (5 points).

The Old Colonel and Walker game pieces were drawn by Eleanor Beckham, the daughter of a Kentucky governor. The rest were created by New York artist Joan Poppe.
Photo by Amber Druen.

Two of Selchow & Righter’s most popular games during their 119 years in the business

were Parcheesi (1918 version above) and Scrabble (1953 version below). Their other big hit was Trivial Pursuit in the 1980s.

When demand for Trivial Pursuit fizzled, overproduction

led to the company’s financial downfall.

more on The Little Colonel Board Game (including playing rules and more images).

See also, The Little Colonel Card Game

Thanks to Amber Druen for taking the professional photographs of The Little Colonel game board (No. 41) and playing pieces

This Site:
Home Page   What's New?   Biography of Annie Fellows Johnston,
Books on Line  (Complete Original Little Colonel Book Series)
    The Little Colonel (link to U. Penn))
    The Giant Scissors
    Two Little Knights of Kentucky
    The Little Colonel's House Party
    The Little Colonel's Holidays
    The Little Colonel's Hero
    The Little Colonel at Boarding-School
    The Little Colonel in Arizona
    The Little Colonel's Christmas Vacation
    The Little Colonel, Maid of Honor
    The Little Colonel's Knight Comes Riding
    Mary Ware, The Little Colonel's Chum
    Mary Ware in Texas
    Mary Ware's Promised Land
          Check our home page for more titles by AFJ on other sites
The People & Characters: The Little Colonel, Papa Jack and Mrs. Sherman, The Old Colonel, Two Little Knights of Kentucky, Two Little Knights of Kentucky(2), Uncle Sidney & Aunt Elise, parents of the Two Little Knights of Kentucky, Grandmother McIntyre, Aunt Allison, The Waltons, Rob and Anna Moore, Betty, Joyce Ware, Jack Ware, Mom Beck, Walker, Katherine Marks, Gay Melville, The Lees of Arizona, Small Parts
Their Final Resting Places
The Places: in Pewee (Lloydsboro) Valley: Map, Map 2, Where it all began, The Locust, The Beeches Edgewood, The Little Colonel's Cottage, The Railroad Station, "Lloydsboro Seminary", Clovercroft, The Post Office, Churches, The Haunted House at Hartwell Hollow, Confederate Home Rollington, Minor Places In Old Louisville: The Culbertson Mansion, "Home of a Hero" Elsewhere: The Cuckoo's Nest (Indiana), Lee's Ranch, Camelback Mountain & Hole-in-Rock (Arizona), San Antonio and The Little Town of Bauer (Boerne), Texas, The Gate of the Giant Scissors (France)
Letters from Annie Fellows Johnston and "Mrs Walton"
Scrapbook
Links
Cooking with The Little Colonel
Guest Book

Email us about this site We always appreciate your suggestions and insights, and will do our best to answer your questions.. Much of the material included on this site comes from devoted Little Colonel Fans like you.

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1432 S. Third Street
Louisville, KY 40208
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