If you lived through the 1980's or were born anytime after, you've heard of Cabbage Patch Kids. And you've likely heard the memories of young adults, telling the story with a glimmer of tears in their eyes, whose parents bravely battled with other parents in toy stores on Christmas Eve, fighting with valor to get little Susie her very own Kid.
Ok, maybe it's not that dramatic. But those toys, or Kids, as they're called, have made a huge impact on pop culture, not just in the 1980's, but as a happy childhood memory for decades to come.
And, they began right here, in Cleveland, and they're still being born at Babyland General Hospital.
The Babyland General Hospital that we know today is a newer, shinier version of the original Babyland. Babyland I was in a small medical facility on East Kytle Street, and moved to what I describe as "Babyland Deluxe" in 2010 on Nok Road. Babyland II, Deluxe Edition is on a sprawling hillside, with beautiful gardens, a party room, ball room and a long, winding porch - all of these things give it the perfect backdrop for photos of your little darling.
I met up with Margaret McLean, Babyland's public relations coordinator on Tuesday morning. She, like the others who work at Babyland, was dressed in a doctor's coat with the Cabbage Patch logo. Some others wore scrubs, a few wore traditional nurses outfits - hats included! Everyone plays the part at Babyland General.
In the beginning, she told me, a young Xavier Roberts sewed a Little Person doll and sold them at craft fairs, eventually leading to the mass-manufacturing of the vinyl toys many children still play with today. However, the hand sewn babies are the one birthed at Babyland, and they're still hand sewn in Cleveland.
"The Cabbage Patch has grown globally," said McLean, noting that Babyland General Hospital is part of that growth. "In addition to Xavier always saying 'Someday I want to build a new Babyland, we'll build a new Babyland,' then this, going from 14,000 square foot structure right in the middle of town to something that is 70,000 square feet and 650 acres in the mountains, it's home to everybody worldwide. It kind of gives you the scope... we've had a 130 million Kids born and adopted worldwide."
McLean said creator, the aforementioned Xavier Roberts, is still very much involved in the world he created. Lately, he's been tending to the grounds.
"Part of what Xavier enjoys are gardens. He was actually starting to plant before we were building here," said McLean. "Not only do we have the Cabbage Patch, which is part of Appalachia, but we also have the gardens and people are starting to say 'Oh, we were just driving by and wanted to see what the gardens looked like at this time of year.' So every season, the way Xavier has been working on it, he wants something to be blooming and to be beautiful."
The gardens at Babyland General Hospital play in to the story of the Cabbage Patch Kids themselves. The story is that a young Xavier Roberts was playing outside his home in North Georgia, saw a Bunnybee buzz by, followed it through a waterfall and discovered the cabbage patch, where magical Bunnybees drop crystal dust on Mother Cabbage. The young boy was approached by Otis Lee, a Cabbage Patch Kid, who asked if Xavier was there to help them find homes. He agreed, and the rest is history. The unabridged version of the legend can be found here.
Legend aside, Cabbage Patch Kids are part of Original Appalachian Artwork, which is the corporate name for Babyland General Hospital and is an homage to Roberts' hometown. "Cabbage Patch Kids - or Little People, as they were called, date back in to the 1970's. They were actually handmade works of art - really, folk art - and Xavier was actually hand stitching to birth these babies. He started and was going to arts and crafts shows throughout the east, so that is really the roots of Cabbage Patch Kids."
"It's exciting because as the love for the artwork grew, it turned in to a mass [market.] Even though we call it mass-market, what was very important to Xavier was that the individuality of the art was somehow translated into the mass market... He was trying to share loving art, and there's a whole generation of children who had no idea they were learning how to love and appreciate art."
Now, Mother Cabbage is totally real - after we spoke for a little while, McLean asked a nurse to see if they could "induce labor" so I could see a Cabbage Patch birth.
There was a cluster of children there already, and after several witty puns and excited kids, Peyton Leslie was born. We then watched a nurse clean up the new baby, like you would any other new baby, but they also gave us a little peek at Peyton's x-ray, which showed us a big red heart. Needless to say, it was very cute and campy, but there were a few kids, I'm guessing they were around 10 years old or so, who were still enjoying it, not to mention the parents (dads included!) that were clearly having fun.
There are a few little details about Babyland and Cabbage Patch Kids that are worth noting. First, a lawsuit between Roberts and Martha Nelson Thomas ended up being dismissed in the mid-eighties after Thomas accused Roberts of stealing her idea in the 1970's and promptly making millions off of it. The suit was dismissed after Thomas could not prove she had a copyright. The Kids have done all kinds of things, including going on a space shuttle, starring in several movies, and most recently, Kids were featured in a episode of "The Goldbergs" that was all about them.
To get to Babyland General Hospital, dust off Christopher Xavier and consider bringing a child you know and/or are related to and have some quality bonding time. From Gainesville, head straight on 129N towards Cleveland. Go through the Square (do not turn right, no matter what GPS says). After a while, turn right on to Hulsey Road and then left on to Nok Road. You'll see a few signs to guide you along the way.
Join me next week as I go on yet another adventure. This one is a drive-by favorite for Gainesville residents, and can even be rented for parties or just because. I'm talking about the Big Traveling Red Elephant. I'm not sure where he is right now... but I'm bound to find him!
Until then, stay curious.
This feature article scratches the surface of the Cabbage Patch World, the meaning and memories behind it are up to you. The comments made in this feature article, by myself and by those who have been mentioned, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Jacobs Media Corporation. Read, enjoy and explore at your own risk.
