Day 7 Vacation-DeSmet Tours

We spend the afternoon touring the town of DeSmet which was where the Ingalls family settled. Their homestead was about 1 mile from town. Warning: Again, this post will not be interesting if you aren't interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

This is the Surveyor's home that the Ingalls family lived in during "On the Shores of Silver Lake" and "The Long Winter. " They moved the house to this location in town at some point for tourism. At the time, it was a "mansion" to Laura who had only ever lived in claim shanties. 

Here is the main living room and kitchen. 

The parents bedroom. 

If you read the book, you will know that Laura was amazed to open THREE doors inside the house. The first door was the pantry, the second door was the stairs to upstairs, and the third door was the parents' bedroom. Here's a picture of the 3 doors. 

Here is looking up the stairs to the girls room. They wouldn't let us up there because the floor wasn't strong enough to hold all the tourists. 

Here is the exact pantry that Laura found so amazing when she walked into the house. 

After touring the house, we walked 50 feet to the schoolhouse. This is the original schoolhouse that was built in 1880 when Laura and Carrie started school. For many years, the building was used as just a regular house. At some point, they moved it to the tourism spot. 

Inside the schoolhouse. 

Is this the desk that Laura and Carrie rocked? Who knows? 

Elizabeth at school. 

Jeremy was fascinated by the large stove. 

They found the original blackboard all around the building. It had been covered up by lots of paint and wall paper. 

After touring that schoolhouse, we got to tour ANOTHER schoolhouse. This was a rebuilt replica of the Brewster School that Laura taught at 12 miles south of town. 

There were only 3 desks. 

After touring the schoolhouse, we went out to the DeSmet Cemetary to check out where the family was buried. All were there except Laura and Almanzo who were buried in Missouri. 

Carrie

Mary

The infant son of Laura and Almanzo

Ma

Pa. Pa's gravestone was different than the others, It was clearly the original whereas the others had been redone. 

Grace

Mr. and Mrs. Boast. There were also several other people from the book buried there as well. 

The Ingalls family are all in the cement area. 

We then drove into town to check out some of the places that Laura had talked about in the book. 

Here is the church that Pa helped build. 

Here is Main Street where Laura and Almanzo and the other young people went sleigh riding during the winter. 

The brick building on the corner is the original site of the Ingalls place in town. Every building on the street has a little plaque that tells you what store or building was originally there. 

The Wilder Brother's Feed Store is now the Post Office!! Why isn't it a pancake house?? 

Here is the home that Pa and Ma lived in after they left the homestead. They lived here the rest of their lives and so did Mary. When they died, Mary went to live with either Carrie or Grace. 

We had lots of time for swimming that night.