Real author of Laura Ingalls Wilder, made famous by “Little House on the Prairie”

Our little farm was an iconic and hugely popular series that is still loved by fans around the world. Michael Landon created and starred in the series, and some of the stars still gather for reunions to honor Landon and the series (he died in 1991). Many know that the 1970s series is based on books by the real Laura Ingalls Wilder, who lived from February 7, 1867, to February 10, 1957. Of course, like most shows based on true events, the series didn’t stick so closely to the books or true events, but made changes to make them more exciting for audiences. However, the names of the family members are the same, and several major events, including their move to Minnesota and the blindness of their daughter Mary, are depicted in the television series.

The Ingalls family story began in the 1860s. Charles and his family moved near Caroline’s family, married in 1860, and had their first child, Mary Amelia, in 1865. They welcomed Laura in 1867 and Carrie in 1870. (They later had two more children, Charles Frederick, who died in infancy, and Grace Pearl.) Shortly before Carrie’s birth, the family moved to an Osage Indian reservation in Kansas, but were evicted, moved back to Wisconsin, and eventually settled in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

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In 1932, Ingalls Wilder began publishing books about her childhood and her life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As to what inspired her to write about her life, she once said, “I realized that I had seen and experienced everything—all the successive phases of frontier history, first the frontiersmen, then the pioneers, then the farmers and the cities.” She added, “Then I understood that I represented in my own life an entire period of American history.” Her book The long winter focuses on the harsh winter storms the family endured, while other books are about her childhood, how she became a teacher at just 15, married Almanzo Wilder, and started their own family together.

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Times were much harder back then and tragedy kept hitting the Wilder family. Almanzo contracted diphtheria, which left him paralyzed and unable to farm. Their second child died after two weeks and around the same time they lost their house in a fire. Although her life was hard, Ingalls Wilder seemed to keep faith that things would get better and was certainly lucky when the books became popular with readers. Before writing her books, she sent an article to Missouri Farmer and became a columnist and editor, which helped her discover her writing talent.

Although her books were a huge success and the show even more so, there was also controversy. Due to the time period she lived in, some of the content is considered racist, which led to the renaming of an award. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award has since been renamed the Children’s Literacy Legacy Award. Have you read her books? Let us know what you think in the comments!