Articles

All the Little Houses: Following in the Footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder

by Sheila Scarborough

The collected stories of author Laura Ingalls Wilder are a beloved mainstay in any young person’s library. The “Little House” books describe her family’s pioneer life in the American West of the late 1800s, and few can bring the challenges of pioneer living to vivid life like Wilder. For families wanting to learn more about the Ingalls family story, load up the wagons! Many of the places that she wrote about can be visited today, and provide educational lessons in the American history of the not-so-distant past.

• Pepin, Wisconsin is the author’s birthplace and home to the Little House in the Big Woods, the first book of her life story. The Ingalls family lived seven miles outside Pepin and went into town to visit the store and see Lake Pepin. Remember how Laura picked up too many smooth pebbles and tore the pocket out of her dark red calico dress? Today, visitors can see a park, museum, and a re-creation of her little house. The “Laura Days” celebration is held every September.

• Independence, Kansas was in Indian Territory when the family moved there in a covered wagon to homestead and build a tiny log cabin near the Verdigris River. That cabin has been reconstructed using traditional materials and methods, on the original historic site. Pa’s hand-dug well is still there, and the gift shop carries copies of the 1870 census of “Rutland Township” with Ingalls family data, plus original documents written by Laura. The Prairie Days festival is held every June, and includes crafts, wagon rides, and historical re-enactments.