The Pimping of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder began working for a living at age 11 as a live in babysitter for a family who lived near her home in Walnut Grove, and she was paid .50 cents a week for her effort.

And so began the pimping of Laura Ingalls Wilder to help make up for Charles Ingalls' mistakes.

Yes, I'm going there.

Laura Ingalls: A Product of Her Environment

If Laura Ingalls minded going to work at any early age, she never mentioned it, at least not when she was 11. By her own admission Laura found being a live in babysitter to be an easy job and when she wasn't playing with the child, she was able to read and relax. However, let's not pretend it was a good life. She was in the company of unsavory people thoughout her life and this particular job ended after a local drunk came to her bed at night and told her to "lie down and be still."

 I think we all know where that would have gone if Laura didn't threaten to scream.

To her credit Laura's mom, Caroline Ingalls, who is named as the person in "Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography" who gave permission for Laura to begin working at such an early age, said she didn't have to go back to work after that.

Now, I want to make it clear that Laura doesn't appear to be under any duress, here. She rarely complains about having to work. She is a trooper for the cause. Her family is poor, her sister is blind (well that comes a little later), and Laura being the oldest seeing child in the family has to step up.
However, I'm very interested in learning as to why Mary - as the eldest seeing child during Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Live In Babysitter Years- wasn't selected to babysit this child.

It's no secret that Ingalls Family of Pepin, Wisconsin, Independence Kansas, back to Pepin, Wisconsin, Walnut Grove, MN, Burr Oak, IA, back to Walnut Grove, MN, and, finally, DeSmet, South Dakota were poor. At times, they were destitute.

The Ingalls were so poor they lived in a hole in the ground, up against a raging creek until they could afford to put a house up. They were so poor they took a partnership on a hotel in Iowa. A partnership where Charles Ingalls ended up receiving no pay for his share and fled his rent in the middle of the night. They were so poor they followed any promise of an opportunity, even if no opportunity existed.

They were so poor, they had to send their daughter to work at a very early age.

Working for Mary Ingalls

Mary Ingalls

I get a little ranty when it comes to the subject of Mary Ingalls. I get it. She was blind and her family wanted her to function more or less as a normal person. I don't have a problem with that part. However, I  can't talk about Laura sewing buttonholes and teaching in order to send Mary to college without getting a bit miffed.

I don't deny education is an important thing. I don't deny everyone deserves a chance at a career and education. I don't want to begrudge Mary that. However, I also wonder why Laura, as the Ingalls sister showing the most promise at the time, wasn't considered for more than a teaching career before becoming a housewife. Laura accepted her fate without question. Mary couldn't teach, so she had to. Why?

 Why was Mary the one to receive the benefit of a higher education, when the reality is her college education didn't amount to much more than reading Braille, playing the organ, and tying fishnets for a living? Why didn't anyone suggest Laura use her earnings to go to college instead? Why didn't anyone see promise in Laura as the eldest seeing child? She was in the top of the class in school, she obviously had a good work ethic, so why, when putting money in Pa's "pocketbook" to save for college, did no one put aside money for Laura?

Sewing and teaching...but for what end result?


When Charles Ingalls heard that a local merchant needed someone to help his wife sew shirts, he was more than happy to pimp out 13 year old Laura for the job. Ma Ingalls was unsure at first, this being a town job and all (Which struck me as odd since she sent Laura off to babsit and stay in another family's home when she was 11) but she relented. Why? So that Mary could go to college, of course.

So Laura sat in the shop window, laughing at town drunks coming out of a saloon, so she could sew buttonholes (which she hated) so Mary could learn how to tie fishing nets and play the organ. Two extremely important skills for a young lady to have. I mean, for all their complaining about the saloons in town, Ma and Pa certainly had no issue with Laura sitting across from one all day so she can earn money.

Ok. I know I'm getting sarcastic here and that Mary did learn to use Braille, but that's pretty much the extent of it, isn't it? It's not like she used this educational opportunity for anything truly great. An education is a wonderful thing, don't get me wrong, but it's how you use it that's important. And I see Mary's years at college as a waste of money, when that money could have been used for a more promising career.

Now, to be fair, no one technically  pimped Laura out to teach. But it was put in her head at an early age that if Mary wasn't to be a teacher, Laura had to do it even though she didn't want to. So when a 15 year old Laura was offered a whole $40 to teach in a school 12 miles away and live in an extremely unpleasant household, it was the last thing she wanted to do - but what choice did she have? Mary needed to go to college and that whole $40 was going to her. Laura traveled through snow and cold weather, and endured unpleasant conditions for $40 that she would never see.

You bought a what????

And what happened after several years of working and Laura's money wasn't needed for Mary's education or travel anymore?  Charles used it to buy Mary an organ.

An organ!!!

Mind you, this was a family, who, just a couple of winters ago was twisting hay and grinding wheat in a coffee grinder. This is a family who never had a successful crop their whole time in DeSmet. This is a family who had to move from town to town so they can earn scraps. Yet, at the first moment of prosperity not only does Charles use Laura's hard earned money to buy an organ for Mary, but he spends even more money to build a room on to their house for it. What the heck? Why not put it away. Why not save for a rainy day? Why not have Laura put away HER money to start her new life with Almanzo?

Yes, Laura insisted Charles take that money and use it for something, but he should have insisted she keep it for her future. Instead they used it for something they absolutely didn't need, for sweet, blind Mary - who wouldn't even be home to use the organ for another couple of years.

Never once, in any of the books, did anyone suggest Laura save money to continue her education. Instead, they sent her to work to pay for an education for a sister who wouldn't use it beyond playing an instrument, stringing some beads, and making fishing nets to sell for a pittance.

Never once did Laura complain about working hard for Mary. I respect her so much for that. She might have disliked the job, but she never complained about the cause. (I would have pitched a major fit, I can tell you that.)

Updated to Add: I forgot to mention Mary did receive assistance from the state to pay for school. However, my point is the same. No one encouraged Laura to put away for her future or explore opportunities of her own. One would think a family who lived in extreme poverty thus far would encourage Laura to save up money she earned so she didn't fall on similar hard times. 

I know Mary is this sacred subject no one is supposed to talk about, but for a family this poor, there were better options. 

Mary already knew how to move around the house, knit, and she already helped with chores. Certainly she could have sold her crafts, even without the benefit of college. So with or without government assistance my point is still the same. Mary didn't have to go to college and it didn't benefit her to the extent where she brought much money into the home or used the education beyond getting around the house and bringing in some spare change. This was an unnecessary expense her family shouldn't have spared or should have used where it would have done the most good. 

A Hand to Mouth Existence

Laura and Almanzo Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder learned how to live a hand to mouth existence from her father. It's the only way she knew.

In The First Four Years " it seems as if Laura is obsessed with money and debt, and it makes me wonder if this was something her family talked about often. Remember, this book didn't have Rose Wilder Lane's (we'll get to her in a minute) editorial guidance, so if Laura did worry more about money in the other books in the "Little House " series, Rose might have edited it out. That's just speculation, however.

One thing that is for sure is that the Ingalls didn't have two dimes to rub together until they were well established in DeSmet, and after Laura began working hard and eventually married. They were a poor family for as long as Laura lived with them.

One crop away...

One thing that wasn't touched on very much in the books before "The First Four Years" is that Almanzo was in debt. He had his mortgage, and his horses, and other purchases. He was always trading one debt for another. Like the Ingalls, he was always just one crop away from being rich and out of debt. Like the Ingalls, that never happened.

I wonder how much different things would have been for the Wilders if Laura was allowed to keep at least some of the money she earned though the years - and not just a little at the end just before she was married.

When I first read about Almanzo as a bachelor, I had this idea that he was doing fairly well for himself - but it looks like he was mortgaged to the hilt. Laura began working hard on the family household from the second she entered her new home as Mrs. Wilder. She cooked, cleaned, fed Almanzo's co-workers, and was a dutiful wife. That's not a rant. I just feel like Laura never had a break. All she knew was hard work. There was never a honeymoon. There was never a "let's just relax and enjoy each others' company" period. Laura put on her apron as soon as she entered into matrimony, and never took it off.

Both Laura and Alamanzo had a strong work ethic. They both knew the value of hard work both inside and outside the home, and neither complained. This is what they had to do to survive. However, a bout with Diphtheria put them both behind in their work, and it rendered Almanzo Wilder unable to use his legs in the same capacity again, which hindered his ability to work hard and earn money. They also lost everything in a fire. They could never get ahead and spent most of their lives working hard for very little money - a cause of resentment for their daughter Rose.

Rose Wilder Lane and the Pimping of Laura Ingalls Wilder

In addition to working on their farm, and selling the fruits of that labor, Laura eventually began writing for farm journals and local newspapers. She wasn't the strongest writer, but she had a pleasant, conversational tone that appealed to her generation. While this money did help to pay for their necessities, it's no secret Rose supported her family.

It's also no secret that  Rose Wilder Lane encouraged Laura with her writing, and influenced her to not only write her autobiography, but her "juveniles" as well. In "A Wilder Rose: A Novel," it's indicated that Rose wasn't all that happy to support her parents. She didn't appreciate her poverty, and didn't respect her parents work ethic. Though the book is considered a novel, much of it was taken from Rose's papers and diaries so I'm sure there's more than an element of truth, there.

Rose wanted her mother to write books as a means of support for all of them. While Rose did prosper, and made a good living as a writer, the truth is, she lost all her money during the depression. No one comes out and says this, but I will - I think Rose was also hoping for a bit of a meal ticket in her mom. I mean, she had no qualms about using her Mom's story without permission when she wrote "Young Pioneers " (something Laura was a bit miffed about), but she couldn't do that forever and those pioneer stories weren't going to write themselves.

 While I'm thankful for the Laura Ingalls Wilder the author and all her wonderful stories, they are the result of someone else pimping her out - her daughter.

Rose not only convinced her Mother to write the books, but she shaped them and typed them and negotiated for them. I contend that Laura wouldn't have been an author -beyond the farm journals - if not for Rose pushing her mother to write and earn more than she would at farming so Rose wouldn't have to support her.

You may not agree with any of the above. All the opinions here are my own. But Laura Ingalls Wilder worked hard her entire life. She worked hard for her parents, she worked hard for her sister(s), she worked hard for her husband, and she worked hard for her daughter.  She worked hard for her mortgage and her farm. She didn't complain that we know of, she did all because she had to be done. She did it all because she was expected to. She was a true role model who upheld the pioneer spirit her entire life.

Would she have done all of the above if she didn't feel she had to? I'm not so sure about that. Laura Ingalls Wilder liked to have fun, and I like to think if not for having to work hard for others, she would have been a bit more of a free-spirit. (Not that she wasn't, but I hope you get what I mean here).

 I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the pimping of Laura Ingalls Wilder. At least she got to see some success before she passed away and I hope she enjoyed her post-author life to its fullest.

Note: All images are via Wikimedia Commons as part of the Creative Commons or Public Domain. All links to books on this page are affiliate links.

Grace Ingalls Dow: What Happened to Baby Grace?

Grace Ingalls Dow

Grace Ingalls Dow is the youngest of Laura Ingalls Wilder's siblings. In fact, of the four Ingalls sisters, Grace is the one I hear or read the least about. I wonder if it's because she was so young when Laura was married and maybe they didn't spend as much time together growing up as she did with Mary and Carrie.

I was curious about Grace so I did a little research about her to find out about her life as a child and young lady in DeSmet and, also,  her married years.

Grace Ingalls Dow

Grace Pearl Ingalls was born May 23, 1877 in Burr Oak, IA.  Although there are books written about Laura Ingalls Wilder's Iowa years, none of them were written by Mrs. Wilder herself as she omitted this period of her life completely from the books. It was during this period of time the Ingalls family was managing a hotel and Mrs. Wilder didn't feel it an appropriate image to portray of her fictional family.

In any event, Grace was either not born or a baby/child during the period of time we remember from the "Little House" series (she was 8 when Laura married Almanzo) and so we didn't really gather much information about her personality or about Grace Ingalls as a child or woman. However, Grace did attend school in DeSmet, and, as expected, she aspired to become a school teacher as her older sisters did. Grace attended Redfield College and earned a "Normal Course," which is apparently the certification awarded to teachers at that time.

From what I could gather, Redfield College was a Christian-based institute of learning, and the church may have helped to defray any costs. As Grace was an active participant in Sunday School - attending and teaching - this may have been how she learned of and attended the college. It bears noting that Grace and Mary are the only Ingalls sisters to attend college.

Grace Ingalls: Teacher and Writer

After earning her teacher's certification, Grace taught at several area schools but she never strayed too far from DeSmet. In addition to teaching in DeSmet, Grace also taught at the Esmond Township School just outside of Mansfield, SD.

Grace also dabbled in writing, contributing to local newspapers on a freelance basis. She was a correspondent for The Huronite and The DeSmet News for many years. Both Grace and Carrie contributed to The News' 50th Anniversary edition.

Grace Ingalls: Wife

It was while she was teaching in the Mansfield, SD area that Grace Ingalls met Nathan Dow. They were married in the parlor of Charles and Caroline Ingalls' home in DeSmet on October 16, 1901.

 I want to pause here to say that it's probably safe to assume that if Grace was married in her family's living room, both Charles and Caroline were in attendance, making hers the only wedding of their children they attended. That must have been a very special occasion. Grace was 24 and Nate was 42.

The following is the marriage announcement of Grace Ingalls to Nathan Dow:

Grace Ingalls and Nate Dow Marriage Announcement Dow-Ingalls

At the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and The happy event was of a quiet nature, only the relatives of the contracting parties being present.

The bride is a young lady who has grown from childhood in this city and enjoys the respect and confidence of the entire community. She is possessed of all the womanly traits that enter into the general make up of a [illegible] and loving wife. For sometime she has been one of the leading lady teachers in this county and has met with splendid success wherever she has been employed. We are truly sorry to have her leave our social circles where she has always been an industrious and cheerful worker, but we are glad to know she will remain in vicinity, living at Manchester. 

The groom is one of the industrious and prosperous farmers south of Manchester where he has the friendship and confidence of his neighbors for his upright dealings and honest character in every day life. He is a young man who by careful and business like investments has secured for himself the comofrts of life and is enjoying prosperity. They will make their home on the farm for the present. 

The NEWS joins with the large circle of friends of thie esteemable couple in wishing them abundant joy and happiness in the future.

The Dows had no children. They moved briefly to the Oregon coast as they hoped the climate would help Nate's severe allergies and asthma. At one point in their marriage, they rented their farm to another family and lived with Caroline and Mary Ingalls. (Charles Ingalls passed away in 1902.)

Grace Ingalls: Later Years

When Laura Ingalls Wilder was writing the "Little House" series of books, Grace helped her to fill in some of her memory and described in vivid detail about the Dakota wildflowers, of which Mrs. Wilder had no recollection.

Grace Ingalls Dow was a social woman participating in many area clubs and activities including the local chapter of the Ladies' Aide.

In 1924, Caroline Quiner Ingalls passed away so Grace and Nate Dow moved into the Ingalls home to care for sister Mary. After Mary passed away in 1928, while visiting sister Carrie Ingalls Swanzey, Grace and Nate moved back to the Manchester area.

Grace Ingalls: Death

Like her siblings, Grace Ingalls Dow suffered from diabetes. In 1932, she was hospitalized for "severe diabetes." Her sister Carrie came to stay for a bit during this time, bringing a copy of "Little House in the Big Woods " for her sister to enjoy.

Grace Ingalls Dow passed away November 10, 1941 in Manchester, SD,  from complications of diabetes. She is buried in the DeSmet cemetery.

Grace Ingall's Dow's death notice:

Obituary for Grace Ingalls Dow 

Mrs. Nate Dow passed away at her home in Manchester at 11:00 Monday evening following a lingering illness. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the house and at the Manchester Presbyterian Church, the Rev. D. Van Houte officiating. Mrs. Dow had attended school in De Smet and Redfield College and had taught school in Manchester Township She was active in the Ladies Aid and club work and was a local writer. Pallbearers were Lucian Howard, Howard Rowen, J.L. Towberman, Harvey Marx, E.C. Brinkley, and Alfred Anderson. Left to mourn her passing are husband Nate Dow, two sisters, Mrs. Carrie Swanzey of Keystone and Mrs. Laura Wilder of Mansfield, Mo., and a niece, Rose Wilder Lane.

One thing I want to mention about the children of Charles and Caroline Ingalls is that they were all smart, accomplished women. They valued education and hard work and it shows. All of the Ingalls can be considered role models for young ladies of today.





Disclaimer: All links to books on this page are affiliate links.

Carrie Ingalls Swanzey: Accomplished Woman

L-R Carrie Ingalls Swanzey, Mary Ingalls, Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder was an accomplished woman. She rode across the West in a covered wagon, wrote for farm journals and newspapers, authored a series of books, and her family was integral in establishing a town in South Dakota. She was well-liked a pillar of her community in Mansfield, Missouri.

Do you know who else was an accomplished woman?

Mrs. Wilder's sister, Carrie Ingalls Swanzey.

Who was Carrie Ingalls Swanzey?

Born "Caroline Celestia Ingalls," just outside of Independence, Kansas on August 3, 1870, Mrs. Swanzey is remembered by Laura Ingalls Wilder fans first as "Baby Carrie," then as a sickly young lady who got in trouble for rocking her classroom bench in "Little Town on the Prairie ." We don't really hear much about Mrs. Swanzey after Mrs. Wilder married and moved on, however. And why would we? It was Mrs. Wilder everyone wanted to know about.

I'm fascinated by Carrie Ingalls, however. Well, maybe "fascination" isn't the right word. Maybe it's more that I'm interested in her.

As I was re-reading "Little House on the Prairie " I remembered that Baby Carrie was actually born during that time. I was thinking how it must have been for Caroline Ingalls, Sr., giving birth smack dab in the middle of Indian territory, with neighbors and a doctor she didn't know very well giving the assist.  But that's not why I'm interested in Carrie Ingalls Swanzey.

Downtown DeSmet in more modern times

Throughout most of "Little House" series, Mrs. Wilder portrayed her sister as meek or sickly. Carrie didn't really seem like someone who had a lot going for her. I'm not saying Laura didn't love and enjoy her sister, because it's obvious she did. However, she gave no indication of the woman Mrs. Swanzey turned out to be.

Carrie Ingalls Swanzey: An Independent Woman

I'm interested in Carrie Ingalls because she was an independent woman during a time when being an independent woman wasn't encouraged.  Even though she studied to become a teacher because she wanted to help support her sister Mary Ingalls in college, she didn't enjoy it and gave up after teaching only a short time. Thus, when Mrs. Swanzey was 19, she began her apprenticeship as a typesetter at DeSmet's newspaper, The Leader.

According to many articles and resources, Mrs. Swanzey held a variety of jobs while she was in her 20's including working at newspapers, teaching, working at the post office, and clerking at shops around town. Now, keep in mind this is during a time when most women her age were married and into their second or third child. While we may not know why Carrie married so late in life (we'll get to that in a bit), one can imagine people in town must have thought her of something of a spinster.

When Laura Ingalls Wilder discussed how "sickly" Carrie was, I wonder if it wasn't because of her issues with breathing. Mrs. Swanzey suffered from various issues with allergies, sinuses, and asthma. It was those health issues that drove her to seek out a more accommodating climate. At the age of 35 Mrs. Swanzey moved first to Boulder, Colorado, and then to Wyoming still as an unmarried woman--a bold step for a single gal. There's speculation she worked at a newspaper during this time, but nothing concrete.

Carrie Ingalls Swanzey: Homesteader and Newspaper Woman

Carrie Ingalls Swanzey

Her stay outside of South Dakota was short lived, however. Mrs. Swanzey moved back to South Dakota in 1908 or 1909. Like her father, Carrie was attracted by the promise of land - once Indian land - that was being offered to settlers. A lottery was held for "white" men and women and Mrs. Swanzey won the drawing and became a landowner, settling in the town of Topbar, South Dakota. (This photo found on Pinterest shows Carrie standing by her claim shanty. ) However, as winter into South Dakota isn't conducive to shanty life, Mrs. Swanzey only spent the warmer months on her own land, wintering in the town of DeSmet with her family.

While in South Dakota, Mrs. Swanzey began working at and eventually managing a newspaper, The Bugle, in the town of Pedro, Though it once had its own newspaper, Pedro is now abandoned as a ghost town.


In 1910, at the age of 40, Carrie Ingalls transferred to a different newspaper, The Roseland Review, in the town of Roseland, SD.  Mrs. Swanzey's employer, E.L. Senn, acquired several newspapers throughout South Dakota, and Mrs. Swanzey managed many of them. In 1911, she was managing a newspaper in the town of Keystone, SD when she met the man she would marry, David Swanzey.

Imagine traveling around the state as a single woman and managing newspapers instead of settling down and finding a husband. Again, we don't know if Mrs. Swanzey chose to be single during this time, or if there weren't suitors coming to call. In any event, she most likely a curiosity for those around her. Mrs. Swanzey enjoyed traveling and seeing new places,  and I like to imagine she enjoyed her independence. In fact, she was the only Ingalls sister to visit Laura and Almanzo Wilder at their home in Mansfield, Missouri.

Carrie Ingalls Swanzey: Wife and Step Mother

Mrs. Swanzey married her husband, a 50 year old widower and miner name David Swanzey on August 1, 1912. As he had two young children, she retired from the newspaper life to help raise them. Carre Ingalls and David Swanzey's Wedding Announcement: Carrie Ingalls and David Swanzey Marriage Announcement

In Rapid City, Thursday, August 1, 1912, David N. Swanzey, of Keystone, and Miss Carrie Ingalls of De Smet, Rev. W.H. Sparling officiating. There are many Rapid City people who will be much surprised to read that Dave Swanzey has taken unto himself a wife. 

Mr. Swanzey has lived a good many years in the Hills and is known to everybody around Keystone and Hill City, and to all the old timers in Rapid City. He is very much a gentleman and the lady is fortunate in being chosen as his bride. 

The bride is an accomplished young lady, being at one time the manager of the Keystone Recorder and later was in charge of the Hill City Star. She has been living with her mother at De Smet for a few months, and came from there here except that she stopped on her way at Philip, near which place she has a claim. Mr. Swanzey met her here and they went immediately to the Episcopal church and were married. They left last evening for Hot Springs, where they will spend a few days before going to Keystone to live. 

They will go immediately to housekeeping.

I want to say here that every account I read about the Charles Ingalls family is that there were no grandchildren who survived besides Rose Wilder Lane. However, as Carrie Ingalls Swanzey took over a mother's role and raised two children, I would like to think her step children are part of the Ingalls legacy. (I'm going to be learning more about them in the weeks and months ahead and sharing what I learn here.)

Incidentally, Mr. Swanzey was the man who named Mt. Rushmore.

In 1924, Caroline Quiner Ingalls passed away leaving Mrs. Swanzey's sister, Grace Ingalls Dow, to care for eldest sister Mary Ingalls who was blind. In 1926, Ms. Ingalls came to stay with the Swanzey family in Keystone. While visiting, she has a serious of strokes, one that was quite debilitating. After time spent in a hospital to recover, Ms. Ingalls returned to the Swanzey's Keystone home where she passed away on October 20, 1928 at the age of 63 after succumbing to pneumonia and the symptoms of her various strokes.

Carrie was very supportive of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her stories, sharing her own stories and memories with Mrs. Wilder for her books and articles. On June 2, 1946, at the age of 75, Carrie Ingalls Swanzey passed away due to complications of diabetes. She was only outlived by her sister Laura and step-daughter, Mary.

Carrie Ingalls Swanzey: Accomplished Woman

Now, I ask you...wasn't Carrie Ingalls Swanzey an accomplished woman? During a time when women married young and spent their lives taking care of their husbands and families, Mrs. Swanzey traveled and enjoyed a career as a newspaperwoman. She owned her own land, and made her own way and for that she has my admiration and respect.










Disclaimer: All links to books on this page are affiliate links. All images in this blog post are via Wikimedia Commons and part of the public domain.

Who Was Mr. Edwards?

The Ingalls Family

One big question fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder have asked over the years is "Who was Mr. Edwards?" There's been much speculation but what most agree is that there is no one "Mr. Edwards." Like the character of Nellie Olsen, Mrs. Wilder possibly borrowed experiences from different people she met along her journeys to create the "Mr. Edwards" character for her book.

So who might Mr. Edwards have been?

The Fictional Mr. Edwards

Mr. Edwards first appeared in Laura Ingalls Wilder's 3rd children's novel "Little House on the Prairie" as a neighbor of the Ingalls family when they briefly lived just outside of Independence Kansas. Laura was two during this time.  You may recall, Mr. Edwards was the neighbor who saved Christmas for the Ingalls Family by swimming across the swollen creek to bring food and presents. He and "Pa" helped each other as neighbors, and if he was a real person, he no doubt left a lasting impression on the Ingalls family.

Mr. Edwards also made an appearance in "By the Shores of Silver Lake " when he held back an angry mob so Pa Ingalls could file his land claim, and again during "The Long Winter" after visiting briefly with the family in their home, where he left $20 to help Mary get to college.

(We won't even talk about the Mr. Edwards of the television show who is so far removed from even the characters of the book that it doesn't even have a place in this discussion.)

Was "Mr. Edwards" Really Mr. Mason?

In Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, Mrs. Wilder remembers a "Mr. Brown" as the neighbor who brought Christmas to the Ingalls family after running into Santa and doing him the favor of delivering presents. However, researchers couldn't find any evidence of any Mr. Edward or Mr. Brown living in the Independence, Kansas area during this time. They did, however, find evidence of an "Edmund Mason," a 25 year old bachelor living near the Ingalls family at that time.

Note: In "Pioneer Girl," the editor lists his name as "Edward Mason" (P.16n36).

The image to the right, from "Find A Grave" is to a grave stone of Edmund Mason in Independence, Kansas, and believed this to be that of the man who was a good neighbor and friend to the Ingalls Famly.

What is interesting to note, however, is that this "Mr. Edwards" is not a "Wildcast from Tennessee" as indicated in both Little House on the Prairie and By the Shores of Silver Lake . Edmund Mason was born in England.

Did Hiram Forbes Add to the Mr. Edwards Story?

You may recall the story of Mr. Edwards slipping Mary a $20 bill after he briefly visited with the Ingalls Family in "The Long Winter ." However, In "Pioneer Girl" Laura recalls her Uncle High, Hiram Forbes, who was married to her Aunt Docia as handing Mary a fistful of dollar bills as he and Docia left the Ingalls to settle in the Dakota Territory before moving on. This time period would have been about the age Laura was during "By the Shores of Silver Lake ."

Mr. Edwards DID NOT Hold Back An Angry Mob

In "By the Shores of Silver Lake ," Laura Ingalls Wilder tells of how Pa overheard someone who was planning on filing for the same claim he, himself, had been planning on filing. So he slept on the doorstep of the claim office to ensure a place in the front of the line. However, the men who were planning on filing the same claim weren't happy about it and a fight broke out. The Ingalls' friend "Mr. Edwards" appeared just in the nick of time and held off the angry mob saving the day once again. Pa filed his claim and the Ingalls family became pillars of the DeSmet, SD community.

Except that wasn't true, at least not the part about Mr. Edwards.

In "Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography," the editor, Pamela Smith Hill, notes this story wasn't true at all. When asked about this specific story by a reporter from DeSmet, Mrs. Wilder admitted this part of the story wasn't true. She put the item in the book to illustrate the rush for land. Apparently this sort of thing happened all the time,.. (p.178n67)

Who Was Mr. Edwards?

There are still people who are surprised the "Little House" series was fiction based on incidents in Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood. So no one should be too surprised or let down by Mr. Edwards being a fictional character based on one or more of the people the Ingalls family met in the different towns they lived in. We will probably never know who the real Mr. Edwards was, but I think we can all agree he is an important part of the the fictional "Little House" story and a beloved character in American Fiction. Did he teach Laura how to spit? Somehow, I can't see Ma allowing that at all!



Disclainer: All links to books on this page are affiliate links.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Obituary

Today is of historic significance for Laura Ingalls Wilder fans. Mrs. Wilder passed away 58 years ago, on February 10, 1957. It was only three days after her 90th birthday. Though Mrs. Wilder would be missed, we are all so fortunate that she left her stories for us to enjoy and share.

Laura Ingalls Wlder's Obituary

Confessions of a Laura Ingalls Wilder Geek

When I was six or seven, I joined a book club at the library. The librarian welcomed me into the room and handed me a copy of "Little House in the Big Woods ." I had seen the book before, my sister had the series in her room but because it was part of her "stuff" I wasn't allowed to touch it. So I brought my own (borrowed) copy of the first "Little House" book home and I was immediately hooked.

Laura Ingalls Wilder intrigued me. She made maple candy in the snow, wore long dresses, and traveled in a covered wagon. She played ball like a tomboy, taught school, and married the love of her life. As a young girl, she lived a life I found so interesting, I couldn't just let it go at the "Little House" series of books.

I read everything I could on Laura Ingalls Wilder from biographies, to her magazine articles, and now her autobiography "Pioneer Girl," and you know what? I am still intrigued by her life.

I tried watching the "Little House on the Prairie" TV show but after a few years it became so not about Laura and her family and friends, that I just stopped watching. I know it has many fans, but I'm not one of them.

I was and still am curious about Laura's friends and family and what it meant to be a pioneer. What happened to the boasts? Was Almanzo Laura's first love? (Hint: no.) Who was Mr. Edwards?

I have lots of questions about Laura, and I've even formed some opinions about Laura and her family that some might not agree with. This blog is an exploration of my thoughts and opinions regarding Laura Ingalls Wilder. Thank you so much for joining me! I hope you'll share your own thoughts opinions in the comments because there's nothing I like more than a lively discussion.

Enjoy the blog!




Note: Although I can geek out Laura Ingalls Wilder all day, it's important you to know that any links  on this blog are affiliate links which means I'll earn a commission for every book sold. This helps to defray the costs of any work or research put into this. Thanks.