Laura Ingalls Wilder - Mansfield

On a trip down to visit relatives in Texas, I made a stop in Mansfield, MO with my two daughters to visit the final home of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband Almanzo. It was a wonderful drive though some beautiful country that we will never forget but the best part was of course visiting her home, Rocky Ridge.

It wasn't just one home but two different homes to visit on the property which they bought in 1894. When they first bought the farm, there was just a little log cabin on it that they lived in during their first year in Mansfield. The next year they built an additional room and then in 1896 moved that addition to the current homesite. The first home we visited was the home she lived in with her husband from 1913 until her death in 1957. It took them a number of years to finish the home and during that time they lived in town. It is a small farmhouse with original furnishings and has such a calm and happy ambiance that one is charmed the minute they walk in. There is a garden to the side of the home to replicate what Laura would have grown while she lived there.

There was a short period of time in which they lived in the Rock House that their daughter, the acclaimed author Rose Wilder Lane, built for them but they missed their old house and moved back there in 1936. It was in the Rock House with all of its modern convenience that the first Little House books were written.

One of the best parts of the tour was going into the museum which is located in a separate building on the grounds to see many of the items that were talked about in the books. My favorite item was Pa's fiddle - to see the musical instrument that took the family through so many hardships and across the country as they looked for the perfect home was awe inspiring. Beyond the artifacts was just the sure peace and beauty of the place. One thing I remember the tour guide saying was Laura didn't necessarily like curtains on her windows because it inhibited the pictures that nature made throughout the day. And looking through her kitchen window, I could see why she wouldn't want curtains on the windows as the scene changed so much during the time were there.

If you have never been to a Little House site, I would suggest seeing this one even though it is not mentioned in the main series of books. It is beautiful, serene and you can see many items that were mentioned in the books.

*Pictures from the trip will be added later - these are stock photos because I am not at my home to access the real photos from our trip.