Another one of those many places I’ve wanted to stop and check out… the Little House on the Prairie Museum in Independence, Kansas. This is one of the original lands Laura Ingalls Wilder lived on and wrote about in her book series. While little remains from her actual stay, this is where Laura spent part of her childhood… and yes, it’s fascinating to walk the grounds she once knew.
I’ll admit, my memories of the books are fuzzy and tinged with what we now recognize as problematic depictions of Native Americans and people of color. She wrote in a different time… but it is still striking to read that Laura once got in hot water for shaking the hand of an African American man in segregated Missouri… and credited a black doctor with saving her family’s lives. The books give a glimpse into prairie life and the grit it took to make a home in America. My other reference point for Little House was the TV series… the one from 1974 to 1983. I mostly remember the little girl tumbling down the hill in the opening sequence.
The Ingalls family lived here from 1869 to 1871. Their third daughter, Carrie, was born here in 1870. The site was discovered in 1969 and dedicated in 1977.
The museum begins with a walk to the farmhouse. A small sign quotes Laura… “Home is the nicest word there is.” The property is owned by Wichita politician Jean Schodorf (she was also on the school board and “accepted“ my graduating class from Wichita East in 1992) and her brother, journalist Bill Kurtis. The farmhouse itself belonged to their grandfather, Bert Horton, who built the home in the late 1880s. The house was occupied until 1960 and now serves as the gift shop and a perfect place to take in the property.
None of the structures are original, but they are carefully recreated to match the time of the Ingalls family. Attention to detail from the book series is impressive.
The barn was built by Horton and features a quilt pattern called Doves in the Window… the same pattern Laura used for her hope chest. Ponies and donkeys on the farm were so sweet they came right up to the fence for pets.
One of the few actual remnants from the Ingalls farm is the hand-dug well. Laura mentioned it in Little House on the Prairie. Pa dug it in 1869, 20 feet deep and rimmed with rock. It provided researchers an anchor to determine the original cabin’s location. You can see it outside, though it is capped for safety.
I was hoping to find a hill like the TV opening so I could reenact the famous tumble, but no luck. The log cabin is the centerpiece of the complex and closely resembles the one described in the books.
It’s small… not nearly as fancy as the TV version… but the handmade furniture and fireplace give it a cozy, homey feel. And honestly, the doors are low… I’m barely 5’8 with shoes on and had to duck to get in.
Interesting tidbit… when the family moved back to Wisconsin, they left the rope latch outside the door for the next settler.
Other buildings include the original Sunny Side School… a one-room schoolhouse built in 1872 and moved here in the 1970’s. Inside, it has a typical layout with wooden desks and a blackboard, plus a small pioneer medicine display in the back… lots of bottles, and I am hoping none are still in use.
The last building is the post office from Wayside, Kansas. Closed in 1977, it was moved here in 1978. Many of the original residents’ names are still on the boxes, and a nearby cemetery shows the same names.
Well worth a stop… even if just to meet the very sweet lady running the gift shop. I left curious to explore other Wilder sites… and maybe even to finally read the books.
Don’t forget to check out our other adventures across Kansas and beyond.