walnut grove

On our way home from DeSmet, we drove through Walnut Grove, MN. We loved visiting Laura's beloved dugout from her book On the Banks of Plum Creek, the museum and visitor center, and eating at Nellie's Cafe.

I get choked up every time I think about this...here's the church bell Pa helped to buy at Christmas time with the money he had saved up to buy himself a new pair of boots. Sniff-sniff. Oh, Pa.

Here I am touching the mantel used in the Little House television series!

plum creek

The site of Laura's beloved dugout in her book On the Banks of Plum Creek

Laura's "Big Rock"

 The table land above the dugout

 Wading in Plum Creek, just down the hill from Laura's dugout. She would have followed this same path to play in the creek.

The dugout caved in years ago, but its depression remains. We loved standing here imagining the family's ox and how his foot went right though the grass roof into their home.

 In keeping with our literary theme, we played Pooh Sticks on the bridge

silver lake

 Sadly, but true, this is Silver Lake. It was drained years ago to provide more farmland in the area.

Originally, the Surveyors' House was out here, but then moved into town years later

pa's trees

And now I get to write about these trees that I obsess about. :) Pa's 5 cottonwood trees. He planted them on the homestead right away for a wind break--one for each member of the family. The reason I love them so much, is that this grove is the one thing man doesn't need to restore, or refurbish in order to preserve its legacy. As we toured many of the original buildings, much had to be done in order to make them safe and meet building codes. Furniture replicas were brought in so we could see things as they would have been. But these trees...these are the trees.

 The grove is now a memorial site with this plaque affixed to a rock at the top of the hill

the ingalls' homestead

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Ingalls' Homestead, just outside the town. There were many great activities for the kids, but I was taken by the landscape, its openness, and how the sky changed so many times throughout our day. I loved walking where Laura had once walked.

 pumping water from the well

 making corncob dolls

 making rope

 walking to church through the cornfield--this was Phil's favorite part of our day

Headed up a hill to an old church. While inside, the kids played church and I sat at the piano and played the hymn, "O God, Our Help in Ages Past." It seemed fitting.

 Tidying up a dugout

And cleaning the claim shanty

ingalls' gravesite

 Difficult to make out in this picture--the grave marker of Charles Ingalls

 Laura and Almanzo's baby boy

 "Baby Carrie"

I guess I never knew her name was Caroline

de smet

The Ingalls family lived on their homestead only 7 years. Pa built this house in town on 3rd St. and he and Ma and Mary settled here. He became very involved in the community and with local politics.

This is the old bank on the main street that was renovated and turned into a bed and breakfast. We stayed upstairs in a room called Laura's Loft.

Across the street from the bank is the site of Pa's building where the family spent their Long Winter. His building was moved back into the alley and then dismantled and the lumber used for other buildings around the town.

 This is the site of Almanzo's building, where he stored and hid his wheat in the wall.

 The building with the red store front is the original Loftus Store.

the surveyors' house

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society of De Smet has done a wonderful job preserving the buildings and grounds where Laura and her family once lived.

In her book, On the Shores of Silver Lake, Laura and her family moved to De Smet, SD, in 1879 and spent their first winter living in the railroad surveryors' house. We were able to go inside and tour this house which Laura considered a "two-story mansion." No one on the tour is allowed to take pictures, but if you've read her books, I'm sure you can imagine it just as Laura saw it, because she's such a descriptive writer. In fact, every place we visited last week was exactly how I imagined it to be. When we drove through this little town back in January, I didn't even need a map to find my way around. I felt as though I had been there before.

On this same site are 2 other buildings. One of the buildings is a replica of the Brewster School, in which Laura took her first teaching job. The other building (which you can see in the left hand corner of the picture above) is the public school that Laura and Carrie attended.

The school building had been turned into a family residence. When the historical society bought this building, they removed several layers of wallpaper from the walls and found the original blackboards beneath.

 Outside the Brewster School

  Sticks of hay, just like Laura and Pa made in their lean-to during the Long Winter.

 

 Right across the street from the Surveyors' House is the Ingalls-Wilder Park. I loved that the picnic tables have red and white-checked tablecloths on them--just like Ma's. 

a little dream come true

Last month, Phil planned a little trip to take me to visit the Ingalls' Homestead out in DeSmet, SD, and to see Laura's dugout site in Walnut Grove, MN.

 

Phil is so good to me. Remember my first prairie homestead experience and how we got stuck in the snowbank? He's such a good sport to drive me all the way back out here!

So, if you're not a big Laura fan, I apologize. You might want to check back in a few weeks, because I have LOTS of pictures to post! Seriously, this was a dream come true for me. The entire time we were away, I kept saying to myself, "I can't believe I'm walking where she walked!"

The first day we arrived, we checked into a bed and breakfast on the main street in town that used to be the old bank. It was right across the street from the site of Pa's building and store in The Long Winter.

 That evening we drove out to the homestead to attend the annual pageant. This year they performed Little Town on the Prairie.

We went on a wagon ride before the play and I took this picture of the 5 cottonwood trees that Pa planted--one for each member of his family. I'm a little obsessed with these trees. I couldn't stop taking pictures of them or talking about them for that matter. I'll probably mention them in every post. You've been warned.

A little snow cone break during intermission

More to come...much, much more. :)