Joe Kagan

Little House on the Prairie Wiki

Joe Kagan
Played by	Moses Gunn
Gender	Male
Debut	The Fighter
Occupation	Prizefighter, Miller, Janitor

Joe Kagan was one of the very few black residents of Walnut Grove.

Kagan was a champion prizefighter until illness eventually all but ended his career. His obsession with winning one more bout cost him his marriage and his family.

He moved to Walnut Grove to put up a challenge for one final fight but became exhausted and near-suidical. Charles Ingalls looked after Kagan for a few short months to set him straight and get his strength back by working for Mr. Hanson's mill. When Kagan finally regained his strength, he returned to Sleepy Eye only to find his own grown son Tim had followed in his father's footsteps. Joe faced Tim in a boxing match, defeating him. Kagan then retired from boxing forever. In the remaining years of his life he worked as a janitor for the blind schools in Mankato and Sleepy Eye.

Joe Kagan was killed in the Great Tornado of 1886.