Raggedy Ann Friends

Let us start a garden, you and I.
Let us turn the soil of acquaintanceship
And in this fertile ground plant kindly thoughts;
Let us pull all weeds of envy and selfishness
And destroy them!
Let us water our garden with the dew of sympathy.
Let us keep our growing plants in the sunshine of love
And happiness is ours; our garden is filled
With the beautiful flowers of friendship.

Welcome to the Raggedy Ann Friends web site.

Origins: Artist and author, Johnny Gruelle created Raggedy Ann for his daughter, Marcella, when she brought him an old hand-made rag doll and he drew a face on it. He created the name when he pulled form a shelf a book of poems by his good friend, James Whitcomb Riley and combined the names of two poems: "The Raggedy Man" and "Little Orphan Annie." He said, "Why don’t we call her Raggedy Ann?"

Marcella died at age 13 after being vaccinated at school for smallpox without her parents' consent. The authorities said it was a heart problem, but Gurelle blamed the vaccination and remained an opponent of the process afterward.

Raggedy Ann dolls were originally handmade. Later, PF Volland, a Gruelle book publisher, made the dolls. In 1935 Volland ceased operation and Ann and Andy were made, under Gruelle's permission, by Exposition Dolls and without permission (during legal limbo), Mollye's Dolls, resulting in Gruelle v (Mollye) Goldman

Because Johnny Gruelle was born in Arcola, Illinois the town has honored his achievement by holding festivals for nearly 20 years, and, now, it continues as the gathering place for the friends of the Raggedy Ann doll and story. Although the Arcola Raggedy Ann Museum closed in 2010, many of the dolls have been moved to nearby Rockome Gardens just five minutes west of Arcola.

Other communities have claimed some allegiance to the Raggedy Ann creations, including towns in Ohio, New York, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, California, and Seattle, Washington. However, Arcola is the real thing. It endures as a gathering place for collectors and admirers of the Raggedy Ann phenomenon.

Now while we are currently planning the Raggedy Friendship Gathering in Arcola, this site will be available to share the news about the gatherings all over the nation. To facilitate this process, we are asking that organizers send their information to RaggedyFriends@sbc.global.net.

Again quoting from Raggedy Ann Wishing Pebble: Just as when Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Ann decided to have another adventure, they tiptoed quietly to the window, climbed to the sill and catching hands jumped to the ground below, "'Blump! Blump!' And so this adventure began."

Please check our gatherings page for special information.