Why Is Everyone Surprised by the Success of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Autobiography?

Laura Ingalls Wilder fans are passionate about their favorite author. We make pilgrimages to all the places she lived and visited, devour every book that has been written by or about he, and discuss her life and legacy in forums and Facebook groups. Movies and television series have been adapted for her book.

Mrs. Wilders books are international best sellers.So excuse me if I come off as a bit surprised by everyone else's surprise.

Ever since Laura Ingalls Wilder's autobiography "Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography" was released early last fall, the press has been marveling about the secrets revealed and the demand for the book.

Did they not think anyone would be interested? Did they not do their research into Mrs. Wilder's legacy and her vast fan base?

Consider this:

• Hundreds of people pay money each year to attend the Laurapalooza conference, an annual conference for Laura Ingalls Wilder fans.
• Thousands of people spend their vacation time every year to visit Laura Ingalls Wilder and family historic sites across the country.
• Thousands of people attend "Laura Ingalls Wilder" days in her various home towns.
• Thousands of Laura Ingalls Wilder fans debate, discuss, and dissect every details of her life in several popular Facebook groups, forums, blogs and other online arenas.
• Before "Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography "was published, there was a demand for copies of the original handwritten manuscript.
• Laura Ingalls Wlider historians often mentioned details found in "Pioneer Girl" leading to requests for publications.
• Laura Ingalls Wilder fans are always looking for new books and information about Mrs. Wilder.

With all the above, one would think it would be no surprise that Mrs. Ingalls' autobiography has sold out each subsequent printing. In fact, my biggest surprise is only why the initial print run was so small to begin with. 

So I'll ask you, Laura fans, are you surprised by the surprise like I am, or did you - like me - expect that Mrs. Wilder's autobiography would become a super bestseller?

Maggie & George Masters: The Ingalls Houseguests During The Hard Winter

In "The Long Winter ," Laura Ingalls Wilder shared the hardships endured by her family during an especially brutal season. The family faced starvation in cramped quarters. In fact, there wasn't even any fire wood and Charles Ingalls and family had to twist hay and huddle - all of them- around the stove for warmth. What Mrs. Ingalls omitted from her story was that the family actually had houseguests - Maggie & George Masters and their baby.

In fact, to hear Mrs. Wilder tell it, they were the houseguests from hell. At least George was.

So who were George and Maggie Masters and why did the Ingalls family take them in during the hard winter?

Read on, Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, it's a tawdry tale of a child conceived before marriage, Ma's generous spirit, and the man who took advantage of that generosity.

The Ingalls and Masters Families

The Masters Hotel in Burr Oak, IA

The name "Masters" comes up quite often in the true life tale of the young Laura Ingalls. For example, it was the Masters Hotel in Burr Oak, IA, that the Ingalls family managed after their first stint living On the Banks of Plum Creek in Walnut Grove, MN.

Double in fact: Genevieve Masters was one of the mean girls responsible for the shaping of Nellie Olsenn character in several of the "Little House" books. (We're going to discuss the many faces of Nellie Olsen in an upcoming post.) And remember that guy who tried to his way with Laura when she was a live in babysitter after moving back to Walnut Grove after the who hotel thing didn't work out? Yep. A Masters.

There was also Sam Masters the school teacher, Nannie Masters who hired Laura to watch her child, Matie Masters "a fine lady who never helped with the housework," and I can go on. Needless to say, The Ingalls family had a long relationship with the Masters Family.

Who Were George and Maggie Masters?

The Ingalls family's patience was severely tested that winter. 

Who were George and Maggie Masters and how did they come to spend that long, crowded, winter in a single room in Pa's cramped store that fateful season?

Well, the story goes like this:

In 1880 George Masters was a 27 year old railroad clerk and son of Laura's former school teacher Sam Masters. While he was working for the railroad at that time, he asked the Ingalls family if his wife Maggie could stay with the family as she was pregnant and he wanted her to be closer to where he was staying.  Though the Ingalls family didn't like George Masters, they did enjoy Maggie Masters' company and agreed to let her stay on. 

Now, it should be noted that Caroline Ingalls didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday, it wasn't just that Maggie needed to be closer, it's that she had no where else to go. Caroline Ingalls knew her math.

When a very pregnant Maggie came to stay with the Ingalls family it didn't escape Ma that Maggie had been with child for a much longer time than she was married. When Maggie admitted she felt it would shed her own parents in a bad light if she had her baby daddy's baby born at her own house, Ma took pity on the poor fool and let her stay with them. As Laura noted in "Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography" Ma "felt sorry" for Maggie, and the baby was born in the upstairs room with Ma and Mrs. Garland giving the assist.

Now.  Charles and Caroline Ingalls assumed once George Masters was done with the railroad he'd pick up his wife and child and head on their merry way. Except they didn't because George kept putting off his travel.  Finally the blizzards struck and it was too late to put the Masters family out into the cold. (I'll tell you what, I would have been tempted.)

Laura  Ingalls Wilder said in "Pioneer Girl,"We had not asked or wanted them to stay with us, but they were out of money and had no where to go, so they just stayed on. " How nice of them.

The Houseguest From Hell

Any sane family would find their patience tested what with the constant barrage of blizzards, being cooped up in the house for so long, low provisions and having to twist hay all the time, but when you add George Masters to the mix, well, I would have kicked them to the town's hotel after his first week staying, poor or not. I do not have Caroline Ingalls' gracious spirit.

Anyway.

Of course Maggie had just given birth and had a baby to deal with, but George didn't help out with anything at all. He didn't help Charles with the chores, nor did he twist hay or grind wheat. He just sat his butt down near the fire and kept warm while everyone else did their best to ensure his survival. He didn't offer anyone else his warm seat either. I wonder if his wife was mortified by it all. I know I would have been.

When meal times came, George Masters was first to sit at the table and helped himself to most of the food. The Ingalls family made sure that Maggie had enough good food to eat because she was also feeding the baby, but George Masters showed his wife no such consideration.

While Charles Ingalls was up getting the house warmed up first thing in the morning and taking care of business, George Masters was sleeping in until breakfast. It's no wonder Pa escaped to the hardware store across the way to hang out around the stove with the other men -including the Wllder brothers. I'm sure the women in the house were quite envious of his having somewhere to go.

You can bet when Spring came around the Ingalls were probably happier to get rid of the Masters family than they were to air what most have been a really stinky room George offered to pay the Ingalls for their room and board, but apparently when the family finally left very little was offered in the way of compensation.  Good riddance, George!

Spring never looked so promising for the Ingalls family!

10 Things You May Not Have Known About Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder super fans weren't surprised by many of the reveals in "Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography. "  Those of us who have read many of the biographies and other writings of Mrs. Wilder knew, for example, that the family spent a bit of time in Burr Oak, Iowa where they helped to run a hotel and that the Ingalls sister had a beloved little brother, Charles "Freddie"Frederick Ingalls who died in infancy.

There were other items I learned from "Pioneer Girl," and a few other books that were surprising, even to me. For discussion sake, that is, if anyone is reading at all, I thought I'd share some items I found surprising or that others told me surprised them.


Warning: Spoilers ensue:

1.  Jack didn't go on Plum Creek with the Ingalls family

Brindle Bulldog (Not Jack)

The story about Jack the faithful Brindle Bulldog following the Ingalls family all around the Midwest until he eventually "went to his reward" when Laura was a tween? That was a bit of an embellishment.

The real Jack didn't even make it out of Kansas, at least not with the Ingalls family. When Charles sold the family ponies to have money for their move back home, Jack was sold right along with them. Jack was fond of those ponies he walked all those miles behind, and would rather go with them then with the Ingalls family.

Some of the stories about Jack in the "Little House" books are fiction, as he wasn't with the Ingalls family after Laura was three or four. I often wonder if the Ingalls had another dog who was as loyal  and devoted as Jack because Laura looks back with such fondness in her books.

2. Laura may not have been old enough to really remember Jack, anyway

Laura Ingalls Wilder - Long after Jack was "sold with the ponies."

When you consider Laura was only about three or  four when the family was squatting on the Kansas Prairie, she probably wouldn't have been old enough to remember much about Jack. Indeed, Laura relied on family stories to fill in a lot of the details of the Kansas Prairie and the Big Woods of Wisconsin. I think it's wonderful that there are so many wonderful stories to pass down to the generations. While some families' history is lost forever, Laura ensured her family's legacy lives on forever.

3. Laura's rag doll wasn't named Charlotte

The original "Little House"

Remember Laura's beloved ragdoll, Charlotte? Her name wasn't Charlotte, it was "Roxy" or "Roxey" - both spellings were used in Pioneer Girl. Roxy was a gift for Laura's fifth birthday and it was the first time she had a doll of her own.

When Laura was living On the Banks of Plum Creek , a much younger neighbor girl, Anna Nelson, had a bit of a tantrum over Roxy. She borrowed the doll one day when she and her mother were visiting the Ingalls family and didn't want to return her. Caroline told Laura she was too old for dolls and Laura reluctantly gave the doll to Anna. (I felt so bad for Laura when I read that, didn't you?)

Roxy went home with Anna - and Laura found her in a puddle the next time she visited the Nelson's. As Laura wrote that she kept Roxy "so carefully that she still looked nice" you can imagine what it would have been like for her to find poor Roxy face down in a puddle, a victim of the elements and an ungrateful child.

4. Mr. Edwards (or whatever his name was) didn't hold off an angry mob so Charles Ingalls could claim his land.

The grave of Edmund Mason, the man rumored to be the real Mr. Edwards.

We'll probably never know who the real Mr. Edwards was or how many times the Ingalls family encountered him during their lives. However, one thing that was revealed in Pioneer Girl's annotations is that Mr. Edwards never held back an angry mob so Pa could stake his claim in DeSmet, SD. Laura said that was a made up element of her family's sago to illustrate that such things happened all the time in the untamed West. Pa was actually able to file his claim without incident.

5.  The Ingalls family had a house guest when they wintered at the Surveyor's House

Now, I knew the Ingalls family had house guests during the The Long Winter but one thing that surprised me was that they also had house guests while they stayed at the Surveyor's House. When Pa was offered the job of caretaker for the Surveyor's House, family was happy to oblige. It was a good call as their claim shanty wasn't equipped to handle the winter and they didn't want to move away like everyone else.  What I didn't know is that another man lived in the house with them, a Mr. Walter Ogden.

Mr. Ogden asked if the Ingalls wouldn't mind putting him up during the winter and allowing him to keep his oxen in their barn. Charles Ingalls felt it wouldn't be a bad idea to have another man around out there in the middle of nowhere, just in case.

There would be a third man around that winter as well. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boast also had a claim just outside of DeSmet but had no where to winter. There was another one room structure included with the Surveyor's House and so the Boasts and all their possessions stayed there, and the families visited often throughout the winter. In fact "Pioneer Girl" tells a fun story about how the Boasts had everyone over for New Year's dinner and the dinner guests had to go out the front door and to the back door to get to their spots at the table, since room was so tight what with a bed and chairs and tables and all.

The Boasts' were Ingalls' friends for life. They seemed to be best friends not only for Charles and Caroline but the entire family.

6. Charles Ingalls skirted the law when it suited his purpose

I always hesitate when adding information that may be a little controversial. Even though I formed a few not so favorable opinions about Charles Ingalls and the choices he made, I am the first to admit he had a solid work ethic, and his choices were mostly made for what he felt was for the good of his family. He was a devoted father and husband, and did what was needed to survive.  With that said, it's equally important to note Pa did skirt the law from time to time, when it suited his purpose. That's not a judgement, but it is a fact. I will let you draw your own conclusion about Charles Ingalls' character.

Squatting on Native American land

It's no secret the Ingalls squatted on Native American land just outside of Independence, Kansas. It's speculation, of course, but Charles most likely wanted to get a head start on claiming a good piece of land before the rush was on. However, the fact remains the Native Americans weren't gone yet, and the Ingalls weren't supposed to be there - and so they were asked to leave.

Running out on the rent

There was the incident in Burr Oak, Iowa when Pa packed up the family in the middle of the night to flee the rent. The family had moved to Iowa where Pa was to be partner in running a hotel. However, he never received anything for his work there and when the family moved out of the hotel to rent a home, they just didn't have any money.

When the family moved back to Plum Creek after staying in Burr Oak, they did so without settling up the rent that was due. Mind you, Pa did ask his landord first if he could send him money after they moved and he found work, but the landlord was worried that would never happen and said no. Pa took issue - after all he always paid his debts -and he woke his family in the middle of the night, packed up the wagon, and made it to another county before daylight.

Pa said he'd "be darned if he'd ever pay that rich, old skinflint Bisbee a cent."

Pretending to be the law to collect a debt

There's another incident in which Charles Ingalls acted above the law, though I'm sure he felt it was for good reason. In essence, Charles was fighting crime with crime - and whether one was better than the other is up to the reader I guess.

Pa worked as Justice of Peace before moving to DeSmet (and later on after settling in DeSmet), and I guess he still had some of his official looking papers with him. When workers started clearing out of the area ( just before that first winter was spent in the Surveyor's House), Mr. Boast approached Charles because he had sold a team of horses to a man who left town without paying. (Hmm...that sounds kind of familiar.) So Charles Ingalls, resourceful man that he was, took out his old "Justice blanks," wrote up a summons (that he wasn't authorized to write), gave a fake Sherrif's star to a friend of Mr. Boast, and sent the man to find the horse thief.

Payment ensued soon after.

7. Reverend Alden might not have been so trustworthy

The Reverend Edwin Hyde Alden

I recently came across something interesting on Wikipedia about the Reverend Alden - and it was confirmed in Pioneer Girl. Did you know good reverend had a bit of a bad reputation among the Native Americans? You may recall Rev. Alden as being the Ingalls' beloved pastor on Plum Creek and giving the first church service in DeSmet, SD.  There were also some sketchy episodes in Reverend Alden's past.

According to an article in the New York Times from August 15, 1878,  the Native Americans didn't trust Reverend Alden. He was working as a Native American Agent and committed several acts of fraud. In fact, the Native Americans considered him a "prince of liars" and threatened to kill him if he didn't go away.

 Also according to the article Reverend Alden was a "pious fraud and cheat" who swindled. An annotation in Pioneer Girl goes on to explain he drew money for carpentry work and kept it. He also kept his wife on the payroll. Needless to say, that line of work didn't work out for him and went back to work as a missionary.

What I find interesting is the Ingalls family liked the Reverend Alden much better than the devout Reverend Brown who eventually led the Ingalls' congregation in DeSmet. However, it's not surprising. The Ingalls family was drawn to colorful characters and the Reverend Alden surely had some good stories to tell.

8. Laura and Mary didn't argue over stuffing

Mary Ingalls

I loved the story about Mary and Laura arguing about whether or not there should be sage in The Stuffing That Never Was, because it reminded me of arguments with my sisters that were just so silly and petty. According to "Pioneer Girl," the girls "almost" argued but never actually made it to the argument over stuffing stage.

 Laura created the fake argument to illustrate the stress Laura and Mary were feeling after caring for a house filled with boarders during the spring rush. The house was finally empty, Pa was going to find them a goose, and Laura and Mary were walking away their tension. I probably would have found something stupid to fight over too.

9. Ma wouldn't have let Laura visit the Silver Lake railroad camp with Pa

In "By the Shores of Silver Lake " Laura tells a wonderful story about how Pa took her for a walk to see the railroad camp and explain how it all worked. The reality is, this was something that Laura put in the book so that readers would understand how the railroad was built. In real life, Caroline Ingalls would never have let Laura, a young lady, go to a rough railroad camp, even with Pa to protect her.

10. Laura and Almanzo Wilder may or may not have spent some time living in a cave

I talked about this in my last post - but I still don't know what to make of it. In "I Remember Laura" author Stephen W. Hines mentions the mystery of a cave Laura and Almanzo may have spent part of a winter in. The story is heresay, passed along supposedly by a dying Laura, to a roommate in the hospital, who told a visiting nurse who mentioned it to someone else. Who knows if it's true? It seems to me Laura would have shared this at some point to illustrate her Pioneer spirit. I share it with you here and I will let you draw your own conclusions. I'm on the fence.


The above are some items that will surprise people about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family. Indeed, many of them surprised me. This is only part one of the surprising Laura stories. I have so many notes from all the Laura books and biographies read over the years, I'll share them all here with you.

I'm really enjoying this exploration of Mrs. Wilder's life. I hope as time goes by, you will use the comments section to add to the discussion as there's nothing I enjoy more than "Geeking Out" about Laura and family with others.

All photos on this page are via Wikimedia Commons and fall under the Creative Commons or Public Domain.

Did Laura, Rose and Almanzo Wilder Live in a Cave One Winter?

So I'm reading "I Remember Laura": Laura Ingalls Wilder by Stephen W. Hines and I came across the most interesting item.  At the end of the book there is an  chapter called "Unsolved Mysteries: Sometimes the Question is Who Knows What? Or, Does Anyone Know Anything?" In this section, Hines brings up some items that he (and others) have wondered about. For example, Hines wondered what happened to Mary's organ or whether or not "Pioneer Girl" would ever be published. (We know the answer to that one, don't we?)

BUT the item that caught my eye in this chapter is the one called "Has anyone ever found Laura's cave?"

Laura's Cave? 

Did Hines mean the dugout the Ingalls family lived in on Plum Creek? Why, we know where that is. It isn't a mystery.

However, that isn't what Hines is referring to anyway. Hines is referring to a much older Laura Ingalls Wilder, who, very sick and entering the last days of life told a story to a roommate in the hospital . The roommate recalled this story to a visiting nurse in her nursing home- The nurse was Arleen Kindel of Clarion, Pennsylvania. So this is a secondhand story, told by a visiting nurse who heard a story from a dying patient, told by another dying patient,  but an intriguing story nonetheless.

Mrs. Ingalls' roommate recalled to Mrs. Kindel a time when Wilders first moved to the Ozarks and endured part of a harsh winter in a cave.

A cave!


I am not a Laura Ingalls Wilder expert by any means but I've read up over the years and I can tell you this is the first I heard of this story. Maybe I was the one living in a cave? I'm hoping someone better versed on this shares what they know because I'm so intrigued.

I began to search the web and you know what I found? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Surely a story about the Wilders living in a cave would garner some interest? Wouldn't others be talking about this if it's true?


Hines goes on to say that the log cabin that was originally on the Rocky Ridge Farm land just wasn't warm enough that winter and so the family took to a cave somewhere on the property. However, the place the visiting nurse recalled as where the cave was near Hollister, MO, not near the Wilder's home.


Because of the fuzzy details, Hines wasn't sure if this story was true at all. However, after he spoke to James V. Lichty, whose grandmother was a friend of the Wilders, and who spent a summer with the Wilders, he thought there might be something to it. Mr. Lichty said there is definitely a cave in an area of  the Wilder property. The cave was below a bluff on a hill, offering protection from wintry winds. This part of the property isn't open to the public.

Of course, none of this means the story is true. The Wilders are definitely people who would do whatever they had to in order to survive. And let's face it, Laura is no stranger to living in a cave. But you would think this tale would be a little more widespread if it was indeed true.

So now I'm going  to put it to you, Laura Ingalls Wilder fans and scholars. Does anyone have any information about this chapter of LIW's life? Spill!