Mansfield, Missouri and Rocky Ridge Farm equals Little House on the Prairie

Mansfield, Missouri is the brainchild of the 19^th century railroad industry. Mining, timber and agriculture offered product for the new rail system.

Apples from Rocky Ridge Farm were shipped on the early railroad. But, the most important product from the Farm was the Little House series of books. You see, Rocky Ridge Farm was the last home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. She and her husband, Almanzo, with their little daughter Rose moved to Mansfield in 1895. They farmed, raising apples, and became part of the community.

When the family was living in South Dakota, early in the marriage, they suffered a bout with diphtheria. Almanzo went to back to work on the farm before being fully recovered and as a very young man, he suffered a stroke. Rocky Ridge was a move they made after trying life in Florida and Minnesota.

Their daughter, Rose, became a very highly paid journalist when she grew up. Her adopted son was very active in the TV series Little House on the Prairie. The family has added some more stories at various levels. But, the original books, Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, and others were written by Laura. She received a letters from children almost every day and painstakingly answered them until her health failed and she died in 1957.

In the 1930's, Rose took some of her wealth from writing and built an English cottage style home using stone. At that time, Rose lived in the old farm house. When she moved to New York, her parents moved back into the farm house. Both homes are part of a museum complex of Rocky Ridge Farm and are open to visitors. The houses are over the hill and through the woods from one another. The Wilder's had a walking path between them. Recently, the route of this path was researched and the path restored. Museum visitors can walk between the houses if they choose. The path is literally uphill both ways! Along the way, you can look into a deep little gully and see the stone cistern that Almanzo built so that Laura had running water in her house long before electricity was practical.

Along with the two homes, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home has become a repository for many of the family belongings and papers. The adjoining farm house is exactly as it was in 1957. Pa's fiddle is on display and has been played during Wilder Day celebrations for the past 33 years. Each year in September, the community has a big celebration to recognize Laura. Little girls and boys dress up as either Little Laura or Little Farmer Boy to compete for prizes. Local seamstresses do a big business in little prairie dresses. There are children's games and country entertainment. This year a soap maker, blacksmith and weaving were demonstrated. During the preceding weeks a local theater company presents a pageant/melodrama with a "Laura" theme.

I suppose there is more to Mansfield than Laura Ingalls Wilder, but it will have to wait for another post!