The water was clear and cold and good. Laura thought she had never tasted anything so good as those long, cold drinks of water. Pa hauled no more stale water from the creek. – from Little House on the Prairie
Small but snug, the one-room reconstructed cabin is furnished in period style. All the furniture is hand made and sturdy. All original furnishings accompanied the Ingalls on to Minnesota but the interior has been made as much like Laura’s descriptions as possible, down to the tablecloth! The red checked cloth was on the table, the little china woman glimmered on the mantle-shelf, and the new floor was golden in the flickering firelight. Once the site opened for visitors, other buildings were moved the same location. One is the former Wayside, Kansas post office and now serves as a gift shop offering all the Little House books for sale along postcards and memorabilia. Another is an old rural schoolhouse from Sunnyside, Kansas. Used as both school and church the building is furnished within with traditional desks and other items, historically correct although from a time later than Laura’s life on the prairie. The school is much like those Laura attended in other places and the one she taught in before her marriage.
After wedding Almanzo Wilder, Laura made the last wagon trip of her life to the Missouri Ozarks where she and her husband settled down on Rocky Ridge Farm near Mansfield. It was there that the Wilders reared their daughter Rose and where Laura began her career as a writer. Long before she penned the now famous Little House books, Laura wrote for many magazines, including The Missouri Ruralist.
The Little House on the Prairie historical site is located 13 miles southwest of Independence, Kansas off Highway 75. Independence is located in southeast Kansas at the junction of highways 160 and 75. An annual Prairie Days Celebration each summer recreates life on the tall grass prairies with period craftsman, wagon rides, musical entertainment and more. Details are available by calling the Little House site at (620) 289-4238.