Kate’s daughters became equally recognizable.
Linda Kaye Henning played redheaded Betty Jo, while Bobbie Jo was originally portrayed by Pat Woodell before Lori Saunders assumed the role. Billie Jo changed actresses several times, with Jeannine Riley, Gunilla Hutton and eventually Meredith MacRae playing the blonde Bradley sister.
Together, the characters carried the series through seven seasons and 222 episodes.Fictional town map
Yet even longtime fans may have missed some surprisingly obvious mistakes.
Despite the show’s title, for example, the Shady Rest wasn’t technically sitting at a traditional railroad junction.
It was located near a water stop along an isolated branch line. The name “Petticoat Junction” was connected to the Bradley sisters’ habit of swimming in the railroad water tower and leaving their petticoats hanging over its side.
And yes, the famous opening deliberately played with the audience’s imagination.
But that opening sequence also contained one of the show’s funniest continuity problems.
