Follow Yellow Brick Road to Emerald City of Chittenango

The yellow brick road may end in the Land of Oz, but a proud central New York farming village is where Dorothy and Toto began their journey to the Emerald City, in the imagination of author L. Frank Baum.

The 4,205 residents of Chittenango, named by the Indians for the sparkling creek that rushes by rolling, green farmland, believe with near-religious conviction that the lush Mohawk Valley inspired its most famous son to write 19 Oz books, including the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” in 1900.

“I think this is where he started fantasizing about the book,” said Beverly Brickner, gesturing to the banks of the Chittenango Creek, close to where Baum’s family owned a barrel factory in the mid-1800s.

In a barn across from American Legion Post 1287, the village’s most energetic “Ozzies,” which is how they refer to themselves, are building a replica of Auntie Em’s house and lining up lodging for a very special Munchkin.

This year’s OzFest 1989, to be celebrated May 13, has a special meaning. It marks Baum’s birthday and the 50th anniversary of the 1939 MGM movie classic that introduced Judy Garland as Dorothy and her friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.

“Front page news is when a snowplow knocks over a mailbox,” said Willie Brickner, Beverly’s husband, explaining why Chittenango is agog over a return visit by 46-inch-tall Meinhardt Raabe, 73.

In the movie, Raabe was the Munchkin who pronounced the Wicked Witch of the East dead after Dorothy’s house landed on her.

“A lot of the children like to go up and touch him, like he’s a star. He signs autographs for hours and talks to them for hours,” said Beverly Brickner, who is chairwoman of the 1989 OzFest.

At OzFest 1988, Raabe regaled children in the local library with the tale of how--while working in the public relations department of Oscar Mayer--he learned through the “midget grapevine” the studio was looking for 124 Munchkins.

“Every little person who walked through the front gate got a job with MGM,” Raabe said in a telephone interview.”

Raabe plans to attend the May 13 celebration and probably will remain in town for about a week, visiting schools and talking about the movie.

Villagers expect 20,000 people to arrive in Chittenango and line its four blocks of yellow brick sidewalks for the 11th annual Oz Parade, complete with marching bands, floats depicting major scenes from the movie and children marching alongside the floats dressed in homemade Oz costumes.

“It’s one of the greatest highs you can get, to see the faces of the children,” Beverly Brickner said. “It’s such a good, clean, wholesome family day.”