Following the Footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Family’s Cross-Country Journey and Virtual Field Trip
For generations, the classic Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder has captured the imaginations of readers young and old, transporting them to a simpler, albeit harsher, era of American frontier history. Among those deeply influenced by the tales is Jamie C. Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool, who first encountered the books as a young girl. Having read the entire series multiple times, Martin nurtured a lifelong dream: to walk where Laura walked, see where she lived, and share that historical inspiration with her own family along the way.
That dream is now becoming a reality. This summer, Martin and her family are packing up a minivan—trading the iconic covered wagon for modern horsepower—to embark on a massive road trip across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota to visit the historic Little House sites. Recognizing that followers and homeschooling families everywhere could not possibly squeeze into the family vehicle, Martin decided to open up the itinerary, crafting a virtual field trip designed to allow children and parents alike to explore Laura’s historic homes from the comfort of their dining rooms or living rooms.
Stop 1: Pepin, Wisconsin
The journey begins in the dense landscape immortalized in Little House in the Big Woods. Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in the Big Woods of Wisconsin in 1867, and she described this initial childhood home in detail within her debut book. Interestingly, historical context reveals that the Ingalls family actually lived here twice, and many of the fond memories Laura shared in the book took place after the family returned from the Kansas prairie.
A look at the satellite view of the location today shows that only a handful of trees remain from the original thick forest, but a meticulously crafted replica cabin now stands at the site, accompanied by a peaceful picnic area for visitors. A replica cabin and wayside marker commemorate the birthplace, offering a tangible connection to the pioneer past where the literary journey first began.
Stop 2: Independence, Kansas
Moving further south chronologically and geographically, the trail leads to Independence, Kansas, the setting for Little House on the Prairie. In 1869, Laura’s family moved to this region and settled on land belonging to the Osage Nation, having received word that the territory would soon be opened for legal settlement.
After enduring a challenging year marked by environmental hardships and simmering tensions between Native Americans and encroaching settlers, the Ingalls family was ultimately forced to leave Kansas. Today, a replica cabin stands on the site, furnished precisely as Laura described in her memoirs, with Pa’s hand-dug well still standing nearby as a testament to the family’s brief, arduous stay on the prairie.
Stop 3: Walnut Grove, Minnesota
After leaving Kansas and spending a brief period back in Wisconsin, the Ingalls family packed up once more, moving to Minnesota in 1874. There, they initially spent the winter residing in a sod house. Pa eventually constructed a wood-framed house on the property—a structure that Laura lovingly referred to as "the wonderful house" because it was the largest dwelling she had lived in up to that point in her childhood.
While both of the original structures are gone, Plum Creek remains firmly anchored in the landscape. Visitors and literary enthusiasts can still walk along its banks and wade in the water, mirroring the simple joys Laura experienced. Furthermore, the exact site of the original dugout has been formally marked, and the town of Walnut Grove hosts a dedicated museum celebrating Laura and the historical period. Notably, the very church bell for which Pa famously donated his shoe money continues to hang in a local town church.
Stop 4: De Smet, South Dakota
Following a series of agricultural disappointments and relocations—including a brief stop in Iowa—the Ingalls family resolved to move further west. Pa secured employment with the railroad as it rapidly expanded across South Dakota. This destination ultimately became the final permanent move for the family until Laura, Mary, Carrie, and Grace eventually left home as adults.
De Smet serves as the primary setting for several pivotal books in the series, including By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. It was here that the family weathered the infamous blizzards detailed in The Long Winter, where Laura experienced her courtship with Almanzo Wilder, and where the couple eventually commenced their married life together.
Stop 5: Malone, New York
While much of the Little House saga focuses on the Ingalls family, the literary universe also encompasses the early life of Laura’s husband, Almanzo Wilder. Born on a farm in Malone, New York, in 1857, Almanzo’s formative years are vividly captured in the companion novel Farmer Boy.
Almanzo’s family farmed this land for nearly two decades until devastating crop failures ultimately compelled them to pack up and move west to Minnesota. Today, Almanzo’s original childhood home still stands and has been thoroughly restored to match the specific historical period chronicled in the book, offering a glimpse into nineteenth-century agricultural life in the Northeast.
Stop 6: Mansfield, Missouri
The final major stop on the literary trail is Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, where Laura, Almanzo, and their daughter Rose relocated in 1894 in search of a fresh start in agriculture. It was from this very location that every single volume of the beloved Little House series was written.
Over the course of nearly two decades, the family steadily transformed the rocky terrain and built the white farmhouse that now operates as a museum preserving their legacy. Visitors to the historic site can view artifacts such as Pa’s cherished fiddle, alongside Laura’s original kitchen and parlor. The property also highlights nearby structures, such as the site of the "Rock House," a stone dwelling built down the street by Rose as a gift to her parents. After living there for a brief period, Laura and Almanzo reportedly found it "too fancy" and experienced homesickness for their original farm, prompting them to move back down the road to Rocky Ridge.
Reflecting on the enduring legacy of her work years later, Laura Ingalls Wilder famously noted: "It has been years since I beat eggs with a fork or cleaned a kerosene lamp. Many things have changed since then, but the truths we learned from our parents and the principles they taught us are always true. They can never change."
