Laura Ingalls Wilder began her literary career decades after her upbringing as a settler, transforming the documented hardships of a pioneer family into a celebrated series of children's novels. Born in Pepin County in 1867, she spent her life traversing the United States before settling in Mansfield, where she established her final home and professional legacy as a writer.
Early Years and Migration
Born to Charles Phillip and Caroline Lake Ingalls, Laura grew up amidst constant movement. Her childhood included residences in Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory. These frequent relocations often coincided with the family's agricultural efforts on frontier homesteads. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, the Ingalls family navigated various climates and economic conditions, eventually settling in De Smet, South Dakota, where Laura began her work as a teacher at age fifteen.
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In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder in De Smet. The early years of their union were marked by severe personal and financial challenges, including the death of their infant son and a fire that destroyed their property. Almanzo also suffered from lasting paralysis following a bout of diphtheria. These experiences of drought, illness, and debt directly influenced the autobiographical material she would later refine into prose.
Literary Career
Wilder is primarily known for the Little House on the Prairie book series, published between 1932 and 1943. Drawing on her history as a teacher, journalist, and autobiographer, she cataloged the realities of her family’s pioneer life. Her contributions to literature were formally recognized in 1954 when she received the Children's Literature Legacy Award. She remained active in the literary field until her death in 1957 at age 90.
Fast facts
- Born: 1867, Pepin County
- Died: 1957, Mansfield
- Citizenship: United States
- Primary Occupations: writer, teacher, journalist
- Major Award: Children's Literature Legacy Award (1954)
- Notable Work: Little House on the Prairie
- Burial Location: Mansfield Cemetery
- Religious Affiliation: Congregational churches
Questions readers ask
What is the basis of the Little House books?
The books are based on the author's childhood and adult experiences living in a pioneer family across the United States.
Did Laura Ingalls Wilder hold other jobs besides writing?
Yes, she worked as a teacher, reporter, and journalist before and during her career as an author.
Achievements
- Notable work: Little House on the Prairie
- Genres: historical fiction, period novel and diary
