O'Pioneer!

Welcome to the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder...the author of Little House on the Prairie! 

*side note...you will get  a history lesson from the next few posts.

Not much to look at is it?  This is the original home that the Ingalls built into the side of a hill in 1880.  It was a one room dugout that homed the Ingalls family while they built their house. 

When you step inside, the walls are nothing but the good old  South Dakota dirt.  Roots stick out like fingers waiting to grab you.  The roof is supported with cloth to hold the earthen top from falling in.  A bed sits in the right hand corner, a dining table to the left of it, and a wood burning stove sits in the center of the room. I stood there taking it all in, imagining what it must have been like to live there. The dugout during the summers would be a nice cool retreat, but oh, can you imgaine the BUGS?  Then I thought about what it must have been like laying in that bed...wondering....IS this roof going to come crashing down on me?  A new meaning of "buried alive" came to mind. 

Can you imagine living like this...with SIX people?

We should all stop and think at how lucky we are that we don't.

In the Spring of 1880, Pa began building Ma's house.  It was built in three stages that would take over 2 years to build, be approximately 500 square feet and cost $16 in filing fees. But, what a home it was!  You could tell that this house was built with nothing but love and it resided there and even after all these years you could still feel it.

Some of the things that Laura would have had to do, the kids got to experience.

Pumping water...

Making ropes...

AND...

GOING TO SCHOOL!

Did you know that Laura went to this school and later became the town's teacher?

Check back to see how well we did in school.  I can tell you SOMEONE got into trouble...but who was it?  You will just have to see!