Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867 - 1957) is the author of Chapter 2 of the text. Born in Wisconsin, Laura's father moved several times before settling in De Smet in the Dakota Territory when Wilder was about twelve-years-old. Wilder attended and taught school in De Smet until marrying Almanzo James Wilder in 1885. She gave birth to Rose in 1886 and an unnamed son who died soon after birth in 1889. The Wilders left South Dakota in 1890 and lived in Minnesota for about a year and then moved briefly to Florida. They returned to De Smet in 1892. Almanzo worked as a day laborer and Wilder worked at a dressmaker's shop. In 1894 the Wilders again left De Smet, traveling to Mansfield, Missouri, and establishing a farm, which would eventually prove profitable. Their final departure from De Smet was caused by a combination of negative influences, including a national economic panic, a prolonged regional drought...