My Corner Online

Photo Index & Map Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7 Set 8 Set 9 Set 10 Set 11 Set 12 Set 13 Set 14 Set 15 Set 16 Set 17 Set 18 Set 19 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 Set 21

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum

We visited Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum on Friday, June 23, 2023, after having traveled half way across the state and visited Bakers Creek first, so we arrived near closing time and I did not have time to purchase a full ticket to go inside the homes. I bought a partial ticket which allowed me into the museum and then I was told I could walk around the homes. We had the dogs with us that could not go inside, so this worked out well as hubby and the girls waiting in the car.

My main interest was in learning about the various location of Laura Ingalls because my son proposed to my daughter-in-law in, I believe, Minnesota, or one of the upper States because of her love for Laura Ingalls. When I think of Laura Ingalls Wilder I think of "little house on the prairie" and being pioneer history in our country. Since this historic location is in Missouri, I feel it can be confusing understanding the historic prairie concept. As a flower lover, of course I love the concept of living on the prairie! Was that prairie in Missouri or up State? This is what I wanted to learn and the guide was kind enough to review the map and their travels with me and I was satisfied. It wasn't until a little later she told me I could not film (although she watched me film our talking about the map) and so I stopped filming inside the museum, especially since I had learned what I wanted to learn. I find it interesting that her books are called "fictionalized history."

I was confused about the cast of characters too. The names are as confusing to me as the locations. So here is a little help for others trying to learn in a simplified version.

1. Laura's parents: Charles Phillip and Caroline Lake (Quiner) Ingalls, also known as Ma and Pa.

2. Laura Ingalls was born February 7, 1867, near Pepin, Wisconsin. Her first book written in 1932 was about the "Big Woods" located here. She had an older sister, Mary, and two younger siblings, Caroline "Carrie" and Charles. There was a baby Grace who died in infancy.

The family moved briefly to Independence, Kansas, when Laura was two, but the threat of Indians caused them to move back to Wisconsin. When Laura was seven, the family moved, staying at several places in Minnesota on their way, and settled in Walnut Grove, Minnesota and Plum Creek for two years. Then they lived in a few more places on their way to Burr Oak, Iowa where they helped run a hotel. Then they moved back to Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

In 1879-1880, Laura's father applied for a formal homestead and the family moved to live at De Smet, South Dakota.

You can see all of these locations of Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood are on a line from East in Wisconsin, and West through Minnesota and South Dakota. This is the "prairie" which her books are based and none of this is in Missouri! So why is there a historic place in Missouri? Because Laura and her husband Alphonso moved to Missouri and this is where she wrote the books based off of her childhood.

3. Laura met her husband, Almanzo Wilder, in De Smet and they married on August 25, 1885 in De Smet. Laura and Alphonso had children in the upper States before moving to Mansfield, Missouri. Rose Wilder was born in 1886. A son was born and died. In March 1909, Rose married Claire Gillette Lane. She is called Rose Wilder Lane. She also became a writer and some day I would like to read one of her books. I did not know she was also a writer and mother and daughter were even writing at the same time.

Their home in Mansfield, Missouri, was called Rocky Ridge Farm. It is the white house in the video and photos on this page. After her marriage, the Lanes moved around a lot, including abroad. She returned home in 1928 to Rocky Ridge and built her parents a home situated just below the farm, which is called the Wilder Rock House. Laura and Alphonso lived in the Rock House for a few years while Rose lived at the farm. It was during this time that Laura started writing the Little House on the Prairie books. Then Rose moved to New York and Laura and Alphonso moved back to the farm. Laura continued writing the books from the farm.

This is the museum and store and I just loved the prairie flowers out front! How fitting is that!

Laura's husband Almanzo had life-threatening diphtheria in 1888 which left him partially paralyzed and his homemade shoes which are so small are in the museum.