13 Sep 2018 4 Comments
by Betty Huffmanin Life Style Adjustments, Minnesota, Retirement, RV-ing, Traveling, UncategorizedTags: Almanzo Wilder, James and Angeline Wilder family, Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway, Life Stages, Minnesota, Retirement, RV Travels, Spring Valley Cemetery, Spring Valley Methodist Church Museum, Spring Valley Minnesota, Travel, Traveling, Wilder Family Barn
- 1867: Pepin, Wisconsin
- 1869: Independence, Kansas
- 1871: Pepin, Wisconsin
- 1874: Walnut Grove, Minnesota
- 1876: Burr Oak, Iowa
- 1877: Walnut Grove, Minnesota
- 1879: DeSmet, South Dakota (in 1881 Laura’s sister, Mary, moves to Vinton, Iowa, to attend the school for the blind located there)
- 1885: Laura marries Almanzo Wilder in DeSmet, South Dakota
- 1890-1891: Laura, Almanzo, and daughter, Rose, move to Spring Valley, Minnesota, then to Westville, Florida, because of Almanzo’s health
- 1892: Laura and family move back to DeSmet, South Dakota
- 1894: Laura and family move to Mansfield, Missouri (1949: Almanzo dies; 1957: Laura dies. Both are buried in Mansfield, Missouri.)
You can see just a FEW of the boards with information about the Wilder family on them. Our guide took us around all the boards and told us all about the Wilder family and Laura and Almanzo.
A picture of the Wilder boys (L. to R.: Perley, Royal, and Almanzo) taken in 1891. There were a lot more pictures of the Wilder family in the museum, but this place really didn’t want you taking pictures of the pictures (unless one of your party was standing next to the picture). I guess they just want you to come by and tour the museum yourself some day.
The Wilder’s home (now a private residence).
The Wilder’s barn and farm property. The barn is scheduled to be torn down soon (what a shame!) because the present-day owners cannot get insurance for it.
After we left the church, we drove around the town. There were some interesting old buildings in the historic downtown area. There were also some beautiful old homes.
We drove out to the Spring Valley Cemetery where we were told some of the Wilders were buried. We found Almanzo’s brother, Royal’s, grave site, but didn’t find any of the others. Most of the original headstones were difficult to read from age and some kind of fungus or moss-type stuff growing on them. It looked as though Royal’s gravestone had been replaced.
After that, we headed home to the RV.
We will be taking another trip on the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Route soon.
So, for now ….. “On the Road Again!”
Betty