Last week we visited Laura's home on the banks of Plum Creek in Minnesota (you can find that post here.) Today is our last "Authors of Days Gone By" post...until I visit another author's location!
DeSmet, South Dakota is THE destination for Laura Ingalls Wilder fans! You can tour the historic homes, watch a pageant, and visit the original Ingalls homestead.
If we had had children traveling with us, we would have taken in as many of the activities in DeSmet as possible (of course, this year the activities are curtailed somewhat.)
But with just my husband and me on the tour, we stuck to the high points. That is, the things I considered the high points!
I wanted to see the sights I remembered from reading Laura's books, "By the Shores of Silver Lake," "The Long Winter," "Little Town on the Prairie," "These Happy Golden Years," and the book published after Laura's death, "The First Four Years." All five took place in this town and the surrounding prairie.
The Ingalls family arrived in the railroad camp on the location that would become the town of DeSmet in the summer of 1879. Pa worked for the railroad that summer while the family lived in a shanty on the prairie. In the fall the railroad workers left and the Ingalls family was offered this house to live in for the winter - the Surveyor's House - on the shores of Silver Lake. Laura called it the biggest house she had ever lived in!
The house has been moved to the Historic Houses location, but Silver Lake wasn't very far away.
Yes, I know. It looks like more prairie, doesn't it? But it's there, between here and those trees on the other side. It's only about a quarter of a mile across, and the cattails and rushes abound on the shoreline. There's open water in the center. You just have to take my word for it!
In the spring of 1880, Pa filed a claim on a homestead he had found just south of town. There are no trees on the claim, but Pa brought five cottonwood seedlings from nearby Lake Henry and planted them on either side of the claim shanty door.
When Laura visited this site, the original homestead, a year or so before she died, she said that these ancient cottonwoods are the ones her father planted.
There is something fine about planting a tree, isn't there? They become a lasting reminder of times gone by.
During "The Long Winter" of 1880-81, the Ingalls family moved to a building in town that Pa had built. At the end of the summer of 1880, Pa had harvested "slough hay," a decision that most likely saved their lives. (By the way, "slough" is pronounced "sloo." I was many years old before I learned that!)
The homestead was next to "the Big Slough." Wetlands in the spring and fall, with tall rushes growing in it. You can see the darker green rushes beyond the cottonwoods.
Pa stacked the cut rushes into hay stacks with Laura's help, then transported them the mile into town in the breaks between blizzards during the winter.
This extra hay was used for fuel by the Ingalls family during the Long Winter. If you're like me, and wondered how to twist hay into sticks, here's an article that explains it: Twisting Hay.
The family spent the next winter, 1881-82, in town also, but they didn't experience a repeat of the non-stop blizzards from the winter before. Laura and Carrie attended school, made friends, and - most important - Laura met Almanzo Wilder!
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| The first school in DeSmet |
This lonely spot on the prairie, one and a half miles north of town, was their home for the next few years. Laura told the story of her early married life in "The First Four Years."
We ended our visit to DeSmet with a stop at the cemetery, to visit the graves of Pa and Ma, Mary, Carrie, Grace, and Baby Boy Wilder. (Laura and Almanzo are buried in Mansfield, Missouri.)
It was a fitting end to the day.
I hope you've enjoyed your virtual look into the lives of two of my favorite authors over the past few weeks. I know I did!
But as I think about those two women - Maud Hart Lovelace and Laura Ingalls Wilder - it reminds me of the impact fiction can have on its readers. Through reading those books as a girl, I had a deeper understanding of family, love, loss, growing up, and the importance of friendship.
What more could a girl ask from a book?
What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Have you ever thought about the influence they had on your life?
And always remember: In a world of Nellies, be a Laura. :-)
And always remember: In a world of Nellies, be a Laura. :-)
Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.
I was older when I read the Little House books... and loved them!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the books of childhood have helped shape my life, my choices. Understood Betsy about a pampered frail "Elizabeth Ann" being raised by two spinsters who must go live with country cousins... and her transition to Betsy was the first book and ending that made me want to tell stories that good! I was probably eight or nine at the time. And then the coming of age books, The Yearling, A Day No Pigs Would Die, Where the Red Fern Grows... and the serials! Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Cherry Ames, Sue Barton, Penny Parrish, and hosts of single titles....
They fed my heart and often my soul.
This whole post makes me smile, Jan.
Yes, yes, yes! And Anne's transformation from a poor and neglected orphan into...well...Anne the wife and mother in the Green Gables series.
DeleteBooks give us glimpses into places and lives outside of our own small sphere. They enlarge our thinking, and that enlarges our lives.
There are so many books from childhood that followed me into adulthood. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury is one that comes to mind, that taught me to appreciate the days of childhood. Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski taught me to enjoy my family growing up. When I was pregnant with my daughter, a friend recommended the Elsie Dinsmore series. While I didn't do the series with my daughter as pre-teen, I did read them during my pregnancy. From them I learned to speak lovingly to my children. This made all the difference in our relationships while they were growing up.
ReplyDeleteIf one fails to learn something from a book, it is not the book's fault.
I love that: "If one fails to learn something from a book, it is not the book's fault." :-)
DeleteI've also read the Elsie Dinsmore series, and I enjoyed those books so much. They are definitely a product of their time, so they have to be read with that in mind. But I agree with you about their value in portraying family relationships. The respect shown to those within and outside the family is something we don't often see in modern books.
Jan, it has been so much fun going on this journey with you. To see those real life places you once read about had to be a treat. I'm curious, though. Did your visits make you want to reread the books?
ReplyDeleteYes! Earlier this year (before the pandemic) I had plans to make three visits to Minnesota, so I started planning my trips to include these stops and started re-reading the books then. Even though my visits weren't as all-encompassing as I had hoped, they were still full and rich because of reading the books so recently.
DeleteAnd since our son is now living in Minnesota with his new wife, I think we'll be making regular trips over that way from now on!
I've always loved the idea of being a literary tourist and visiting the places authors brought to life for me in fiction. Prince Edward Island has always been on my dream travel list because...Anne of Green Gables, of course!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd since we're talking favourite books from childhood -- eeeep -- so many. The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is waaay up on my list! Fanned my fascination for all things British (even though I'm Irish!) at an early age.
Then there are all the Phyllis A Whitney mysteries that fueled my love for the genre. My library had them all and when I was older, Whitney and my library helped me transition into the adult section of the library. So much fun to follow a beloved author into the world of grown ups.
And Madeleine L'Engle!!!! I devoured her books when I my grade four teacher read A Wrinkled in Time to the class. She's another author who I followed into the adult world of books. Such warm, fuzzy memories.
And Trixie Belden, of course. Gleeps, I couldn't leave her out. I favoured Trixie over Nancy or the Dana Girls or the Hardy Boys (though I read all those as well)
Oohhhh... and The Children of Green Knowe series by L.M. Boston and The Saturdays and Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright! And Narnia!!!!!! Oh, oh, ohhhhh -- Edward Eager's books -- starting with Half-Magic. LOVED that book and they've recently reissued all of them. So much fun!!!! He started me on my quest for fantasy stories. The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge. I've been looking for that book off and on for years. Not in print any more but I'm sure some used book sellers must have it. Need to check again -- it's been a couple of years since I went on a search.
Um...I could go on, but I'm thinking you've had enough of my rambling. Now you've gone and made be homesick for all my best book buds for years gone by. Sniffle.
Sqqqquuueeeeppp -- just discovered The Little White Horse on audible!!!! It's only 2 hours and 26 minutes long which is funny because I remember thinking the book was so long when I was a kid. :-)
DeleteOh, Kav! You've given me a whole bunch of authors to add to my MBR list (Must Be Read, lol!)
DeleteSo glad you found The Little White Horse. :-) Happy listening!
What wonderful photos!! I really must visit these places sometime. What a fun trip down memory lane. You know, as a child, while I read these books and watched the show, I never really thought much about it being REAL people. :) These posts and photos have been so cool to see!
ReplyDeleteAlso meant to say I love the Laura/Nellie quote!! LOL
DeleteI remember when I found out that some of my favorite story characters and/or locations were real! What a thrill!
DeleteAnd I love that Nellie/Laura quote, too. I saw it on a t-shirt at the gift shop. :-)
Never toured this one because I've never been there....lol. I have toured her last home in the ozarks when on vacation. In fact, my then high school senior daughter and I threw a regular tantrum when my husband suggested we might not have time to visit...needless to say...we won..husband and boys didn't go in and around the farm with us...they sulked in the car instead...well. they did have air conditioning. J and I loved every minute. And every artifact that was preserved. This last year, I finally read the book
ReplyDeleteAbout Rose Wilder Lane ..Laura and Alonzo's daughter. Have you read it? It is by Susan Wittig Albert and titled, A Wilder Rose. It tells a not about how Laura's books were written and then edited. It only made me more fascinated with Laura.
When we were visiting the Ozark farm where they ended up in their later years, we saw what was supposed to be Pa's violin....apparently Rose purchased or remortgaged this final farm. Laura and Alonzo lived in one house with Rose and usually a friend living in another house on the property. Its mentioned that even when Alonzo was unable to farm anymore, Laura continued her gardening and always had her chickens...and egg money. This is the place in Mansfield, Mo.
Although I knew Rose wrote magazine articles and even served as a war correspondent at one point, I found out recently that she wrote series books also in addition to editing Laura's books. I will be looking into purchasing some of these soon if they are not out of print.
I grew up fluctuating between Laura Ingalls Wilder and Nancy Drew.
By the way, thanks for giving me a reason to visit in your area someday!
Renee Collins
Hi, Renee!
DeleteVisiting Laura's home in Mansfield is on my list of places to go! I can imagine that our family would have been the same way if we had stopped when our children were all with us - dad and the boys waiting in the car while my daughter and I enjoyed the visit!
I haven't read the book you mention, A Wilder Rose, but I have read a biography of Rose (can't remember who it's by,) and I've read a few of her books. They've been reprinted and are available on Amazon. She was a successful author in her time, but I still enjoy Laura's writing more.
Thanks for commenting, Renee!
Jan, this was a fun reminder of when my husband and I visited DeSmet 3 years ago. We have also been to Mansfield, MO. You definitely need to go there. We also have seen the site in Kansas that was the setting for Little House on the Prairie. We still need to get to the sites in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
ReplyDelete