Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman - Historical Facts and Filming Information

Historical Facts and Filming Information

• While much of Dr. Quinn was fictional, some of the events and people were based on historical fact:
  • Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania actually existed and is today part of Drexel University College of Medicine.
  • The Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 was referred to in the pilot episode (though it was historically inaccurate as the pilot took place in 1867).
  • Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, and Chief Black Kettle, are true historical figures.
  • The Battle of Washita River, seen in the third season episode Washita, was an actual historical event. In the show, the battle took place in 1869 in Colorado, while in fact it took place in the fall of 1868 in Oklahoma.
• In what most consider the final episode of the series, the town's often-antagonist banker, Preston A. Lodge III, went bankrupt as a result of the great stock market crash, caused by the Panic of 1873, a historically-accurate event. Lodge lost much of the townspeople's money along with his own, in the Panic.
• The episode The Body Electric features Walt Whitman, who was a poet and a true historical figure
• One of the major historical oversights of the show is that Colorado Springs was not technically founded until 1871, by General William Palmer, and was mainly a resort town. There were no saloons, as Palmer declared Colorado Springs to be alcohol-free. Colorado Springs stayed "dry" until the end of Prohibition in 1933. However, nearby towns, including Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs did permit saloons.
• Dr. Quinn was largely filmed at the western set on Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills. Fans of the show were able to visit the sets, talk to the actors and watch episodes being shot, during its 6-year run. Since Dr. Quinn ended, the ranch has been used numerous times for other filming projects. Numerous buildings, including the church, Sullys Homestead, the school house, and the Chateau Springs Hotel, were leveled soon after the series was canceled. However, the entire town still remains. Despite minor changes over the years, it is still recognizable as the Dr. Quinn set, and is a popular tourist attraction for many fans, today.
• Other areas used throughout the series were the backlot at Universal Studios in Hollywood, including The New England Street as the location of Quinn Family Home, and the New York Streets, doubling as the streets of Boston and Washington. The setting of Boston in the final movie was filmed in Canada, using various locations in Old Montreal.
• William Olvis wrote the underscoring music for the series, except for a few episodes in season one (where he either alternated with Star Trek spin-off series composer David Bell, or co-scored with Bell) and the Revolutions movie.
• Jane Seymour's husband, James Keach, directed and produced numerous episodes of the show, and guest starred in the season 5 episode entitled, "The Hostage."
• Due to child labor laws, the role of Katie; Dr. Mike and Sully's young daughter, was portrayed by identical triplets; Alexandria, McKenzie, and Megan Calabrese.
• Jane Seymour is the only cast member who appeared in every episode of the series. Shawn Toovey missed only one episode as did Chad Allen, who also did not appear in episode titled "Reunion" (Season 4), as well as the two made-for-TV movies. Joe Lando came in third, missing only a few episodes in the sixth and final season.