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.

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.

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