Laura Ingalls Wilder Sites - A Thread for lashbear

3894 · 09-23-2010, 07:48 AM

This is for lashbear and anyone who loves the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, inspired by a revisit to one of the sites two weeks ago.

You can see a lot of Laura's world with your own eyes. You can even visit some of the people - in the graveyard, of course. You won't be disappointed; Laura's memory was truly remarkable and, as all of her sites are rural, many are still much as she remembered.

Here are the ones I have visited. I hope you have a chance to see these for yourself.

Pepin, Wisconsin Little House in the Big Woods
The Ingalls lived in a log cabin 7 miles from Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River. The little town of Pepin still exists but the Ingalls' cabin has long disappeared. A recreated cabin stands approximately where the old one used to. The Big Woods are still in Wisconsin but you'll need to drive further north. Laura's cabin today is the Little House in the Rolling Farmlands with a Little Bit of Woods.

Burr Oak, Iowa
This is the site I revisited recently. Here's a photo I took:

It's the Masters Hotel and it's almost just as it was when the Ingalls lived and worked there. In fact, the entire town is still tiny and still very 19th century and isolated. If you are a photographer, you will have a field day. Pa managed the hotel and Laura and Mary cleaned and waited tables. Laura did not speak about her family's time in Iowa because it was so unhappy: her brother died and the family was so broke they left town in the dead of night without paying their debts. You can read about this time in Laura's life in Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story by Laura scholar William Anderson.

De Smet, South Dakota Little Town on the Prairie
So much is still here, even the big elms Pa planted, one for each girl. The house Pa built in town is still standing and furnished with many, many family items, many talked about in the books. Pa wasn't much of a carpenter so watch yourself up those steep stairs. You can also visit the Surveyors' House and the Ingalls Homestead where those trees still stand but the shanty is long gone.

Laura sites I haven't visited yet: Independence Kansas of the Little House on the Prairie, a.k.a. squatting on Indian land (that really burns me it was so piggy but the book is great), Walnut Grove, Minnesota The Banks of Plum Creek, and Laura and Almanzo's longtime home at Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri.

DreadPirateRoberts · 09-23-2010, 09:59 AM

Quote:

It's the Masters Hotel and it's almost just as it was when the Ingalls lived and worked there. In fact, the entire town is still tiny and still very 19th century and isolated. If you are a photographer, you will have a field day. Pa managed the hotel and Laura and Mary cleaned and waited tables. Laura did not speak about her family's time in Iowa because it was so unhappy: her brother died and the family was so broke they left town in the dead of night without paying their debts. You can read about this time in Laura's life in Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story by Laura scholar William Anderson.

Very interesting. I'd never heard this story before.

MouseWife · 09-23-2010, 01:24 PM

Oh, thank you!! I love the Little House on the Prairie series. I hadn't heard the story about the little town/leaving in the dead of night. Times were hard for them at times.

I would love to do a tour of these sites!!!

Thank you!!

katiesue · 09-23-2010, 02:13 PM

Love it - those were some of my favorite books. I think I still have mine around somewhere.

3894 · 09-23-2010, 02:25 PM

You're very welcome, fellow Laura fans. Some people fly into Minneapolis, rent an RV, and do the circuit - sorta covered wagon 21st century style.

The distances aren't that great.

DeSmet, SD to Walnut Grove, MN is 110 miles.
Walnut Grove, MN to Pepin, WI is 205 miles.
Pepin, WI to Burr Oak, IA is 120 miles.
Burr Oak, IA to Spring Valley, MN is 40 miles

This is from the front of the Masters Hotel.

Again, fingers crossed for all of you to see these wonderful places!

MouseWife · 09-23-2010, 03:35 PM

Thank you for the crossed fingers!! That would be a wonderful part of a road trip.

One of these days.

lashbear · 09-23-2010, 08:54 PM

OOH! OOH! Looky what I found !

Thank you for this wonderful find. I am ordering a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story ASAP.

*Mwah* !!! 3894 Rocks !

3894 · 09-24-2010, 06:40 AM

Yay! Here's to you on the mend, lashbear.

innerSpaceman · 09-24-2010, 07:04 AM

My friend Laurie is such a big fan, and did a tour of most of these sites quite some years ago, dragging her unsuspecting family along. She loved, loved, loved it. Not sure about her kids and husband tho.

MouseWife · 09-24-2010, 10:48 AM

Eh, Steve, her family survived. That was a wonderful thing you arranged for her, they should have been happy for her. Maybe they were....on the inside.

I dragged my family to the Ponderosa a few times {until it closed} and dagburnit, I LOVED it!! They did get something from it, even if they didn't want to admit it at the time.

09-23-2010, 07:48 AM	#1
3894 Next Stop: Funkytown! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cheeselandia Posts: 1,907	Laura Ingalls Wilder Sites - A Thread for lashbear This is for lashbear and anyone who loves the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, inspired by a revisit to one of the sites two weeks ago. You can see a lot of Laura's world with your own eyes. You can even visit some of the people - in the graveyard, of course. You won't be disappointed; Laura's memory was truly remarkable and, as all of her sites are rural, many are still much as she remembered. Here are the ones I have visited. I hope you have a chance to see these for yourself. Pepin, Wisconsin Little House in the Big Woods The Ingalls lived in a log cabin 7 miles from Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River. The little town of Pepin still exists but the Ingalls' cabin has long disappeared. A recreated cabin stands approximately where the old one used to. The Big Woods are still in Wisconsin but you'll need to drive further north. Laura's cabin today is the Little House in the Rolling Farmlands with a Little Bit of Woods. Burr Oak, Iowa This is the site I revisited recently. Here's a photo I took: It's the Masters Hotel and it's almost just as it was when the Ingalls lived and worked there. In fact, the entire town is still tiny and still very 19th century and isolated. If you are a photographer, you will have a field day. Pa managed the hotel and Laura and Mary cleaned and waited tables. Laura did not speak about her family's time in Iowa because it was so unhappy: her brother died and the family was so broke they left town in the dead of night without paying their debts. You can read about this time in Laura's life in Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story by Laura scholar William Anderson. De Smet, South Dakota Little Town on the Prairie So much is still here, even the big elms Pa planted, one for each girl. The house Pa built in town is still standing and furnished with many, many family items, many talked about in the books. Pa wasn't much of a carpenter so watch yourself up those steep stairs. You can also visit the Surveyors' House and the Ingalls Homestead where those trees still stand but the shanty is long gone. Laura sites I haven't visited yet: Independence Kansas of the Little House on the Prairie, a.k.a. squatting on Indian land (that really burns me it was so piggy but the book is great), Walnut Grove, Minnesota The Banks of Plum Creek, and Laura and Almanzo's longtime home at Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri. __________________ "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." - Flynn Rider, "Tangled"
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09-23-2010, 01:24 PM	#3
MouseWife Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Da' Beach Posts: 2,957	Oh, thank you!! I love the Little House on the Prairie series. I hadn't heard the story about the little town/leaving in the dead of night. Times were hard for them at times. I would love to do a tour of these sites!!! Thank you!! __________________ Summa' time....when the livins' easy.........
	Submit to Quotes

09-23-2010, 02:13 PM	#4
katiesue Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 4,678	Love it - those were some of my favorite books. I think I still have mine around somewhere. __________________ My life is so exciting I can hardly stand it.
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09-23-2010, 02:25 PM	#5
3894 Next Stop: Funkytown! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cheeselandia Posts: 1,907	You're very welcome, fellow Laura fans. Some people fly into Minneapolis, rent an RV, and do the circuit - sorta covered wagon 21st century style. The distances aren't that great. DeSmet, SD to Walnut Grove, MN is 110 miles. Walnut Grove, MN to Pepin, WI is 205 miles. Pepin, WI to Burr Oak, IA is 120 miles. Burr Oak, IA to Spring Valley, MN is 40 miles This is from the front of the Masters Hotel. Again, fingers crossed for all of you to see these wonderful places! __________________ "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." - Flynn Rider, "Tangled"
	Submit to Quotes

09-23-2010, 03:35 PM	#6
MouseWife Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Da' Beach Posts: 2,957	Thank you for the crossed fingers!! That would be a wonderful part of a road trip. One of these days. __________________ Summa' time....when the livins' easy.........
	Submit to Quotes

09-23-2010, 08:54 PM	#7
lashbear SwishBuckling Bear Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In Isolation :) Posts: 6,597	OOH! OOH! Looky what I found ! Thank you for this wonderful find. I am ordering a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story ASAP. Mwah !!! 3894 Rocks ! __________________ *I Heart* my Husband - I can't think of anyone I'd rather be in isolation with.**
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09-24-2010, 06:40 AM	#8
3894 Next Stop: Funkytown! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cheeselandia Posts: 1,907	Yay! Here's to you on the mend, lashbear. __________________ "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." - Flynn Rider, "Tangled"
	Submit to Quotes

09-24-2010, 07:04 AM	#9
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	My friend Laurie is such a big fan, and did a tour of most of these sites quite some years ago, dragging her unsuspecting family along. She loved, loved, loved it. Not sure about her kids and husband tho.
	Submit to Quotes

09-24-2010, 10:48 AM	#10
MouseWife Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Da' Beach Posts: 2,957	Eh, Steve, her family survived. That was a wonderful thing you arranged for her, they should have been happy for her. Maybe they were....on the inside. I dragged my family to the Ponderosa a few times {until it closed} and dagburnit, I LOVED it!! They did get something from it, even if they didn't want to admit it at the time. __________________ Summa' time....when the livins' easy.........
	Submit to Quotes