Movies - Laura Ingalls Wilder

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Laura Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 - February 10, 1957) was an American author. She authored the series of historical fiction books for children based on her childhood in a pioneer family. The most well-known of her books is Little House on the Prairie
.

Early life and marriage

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in Pepin, Wisconsin to parents Charles Phillip and Caroline Lake (Quiner) Ingalls. She was the second of their five children: Mary, who later in her life became blind, Laura, Caroline, whom they called Carrie, Freddy, who died at a year old, and Grace. Many details of Laura's family life through adolescence are chronicled in her semi-autobiographical "Little House" book series. She and her family moved extensively throughout the Midwestern United States during her childhood. Although she was a bright student, her education was rather sporadic, a result of her family often living in isolated areas where schools were not yet established, or the family's finances resulting in Laura interrupting her schooling to earn money. The family eventually settled in De Smet, Dakota Territory, where she attended school more regularly and worked as a seamstress and teacher. Laura ended her teaching career in 1885 when she married homesteader Almanzo Wilder (1857–1949). At that time, married women were not permitted to teach. She had two children: the novelist, journalist and political theorist Rose Wilder Lane (1886–1968), and an unnamed son, who died soon after birth in 1889.

In the late 1880s, complications from a life-threatening bout of diphtheria left Almanzo partially paralyzed. While he eventually regained nearly full use of his legs, he needed a cane to walk for the remainder of his life. This setback began a series of disastrous events that included the death of their unnamed newborn son, the destruction of their home and barn by fire, and several years of severe drought that left them in debt, physically ill and unable to earn a living from their 320 acres (1.3 km²) of prairie land.

In about 1890, the Wilders left South Dakota and spent about a year resting at Almanzo's parents' prosperous Minnesota farm, before moving briefly to Florida. The Florida climate was sought to improve Almanzo's health, but Laura, used to living on the dry plains, wilted in the heat and southern humidity. They soon returned to De Smet and rented a small house in town. The Wilders received special permission to start precocious Rose in school early, and took jobs (Almanzo as a day laborer, Laura as a seamstress at a dressmaker's shop) to save enough money to once again start up a farming operation.

Moves to Missouri

In 1894, the hard-pressed young couple moved a final time to Mansfield, Missouri, making a partial down payment on a piece of undeveloped property just outside town that they named Rocky Ridge Farm. What began as about 40 acres (0.2 km²) of thickly wooded, stone covered hillside with a windowless log cabin, over the next 20 years, evolved into a 200 acre (0.8 km²), relatively prosperous, poultry, dairy and fruit farm. The ramshackle log cabin was eventually replaced with an impressive and unique ten-room farmhouse and outbuildings.

The couple's climb to financial security was a slow and halting process. Initially, the only income the farm produced was from wagonloads of firewood Almanzo sold for fifty cents in town, the result of the backbreaking work of clearing the trees and stones from land that slowly evolved into fertile fields and pastures. The apple trees would not begin to bear fruit for seven years. Barely able to eke out a more than a subsistence living on the new farm, the Wilders decided to move into nearby Mansfield in the late 1890s. Almanzo found work as an oil salesman and general delivery man, while Laura took in boarders and served meals to local railroad workers. Any spare time was spent improving the farm and planning for a better future.

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Movies - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Early life and marriage

Moves to Missouri

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