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Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867 in the "Big Woods" near the town of Pepin, Wisonsin. This photo is a replica of their cabin.
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The Ingalls family moved to and spent two years living in a "Little House on the Prairie" in Kansas in Indian Territory. Laura's little sister, Carrie, was born during this time.
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The Ingalls family left the "Big Woods" again and moved to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. First they lived in a dugout, and then Charles Ingalls, Laura's father, built a wooden house. This photo is an example of what a dugout looked like.
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An event left out of the "Little House" series, Caroline and Charles Ingalls lost their nine-month-old son, Freddie
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The Ingalls family suffered an unknown illness, and Laura's older sister, Mary, went blind. The family moved to the railroad camp of De Smet on the shores of Silver Lake in Dakota Territory. They were the first settlers in what would become the town of De Smet, South Dakota. The photo is of De Smet in 1900. --Photo courtesy of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society, De Smet, SD http://www.discoverlaura.org
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The Ingalls family and the town of De Smet endured the seven-month-long "Long Winter."
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Laura Ingalls married Almanzo Wilder at the age of 18. He was 28.
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Laura gave birth to Rose Wilder. The photo was taken when she was 4 years old.
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Laura and Almonzo lost their second child, a son, only a few days after his birth. Two weeks later, their house burned down.
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The Wilder family left De Smet to live with Almonzo's family in Florida for a time. Then they returned to De Smet only to leave again and settle permanently in Mansfield, Missouri.
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Laura's father died in De Smet.
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Rose Wilder moved to San Francisco and began working as a journalist
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Laura (age 44) took up writing articles for farm journals. The photo is of her writing desk.
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Laura goes to visit Rose in San Francisco and see the World's Fair. She stayed for two months.
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Caroline Ingalls died in De Smet.
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Harper and Brothers published "Little House in the Big Woods."
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"Farmer Boy" published
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Laura published six more books:
- "Little House on the Prairie" 1935
- "On the Banks of Plum Creek" 1937
- "By the Shores of Silver Lake" 1939
- "The Long Winter" 1940
- "Little Town on the Prairie" 1941
- "These Happy Golden Years" 1943 -
Almonzo Wilder died at the age of ninety-two at their home in Mansfield, Missouri, Rocky Ridge Farm.
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New editions of the "Little House" books were published with brand-new illustrations done by Garth Williams.
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Laura Ingalls Wilder died at the age of 90 on February 10, 1957 (3 days after her birthday) in her home in Mansfield, Missouri.
