Who is Laura Ingalls Wilder? She was an author who wrote many books, but she is most famous for the Little House on the Prairie which became a television series. She was born in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and lived in a few states in the Midwest Region of the United States of America. Her final home was in the town of Mansfield in the U.S. state of Missouri. This is the same state that produced Samuel Clemens, commonly known by his penname of Mark Twain, who wrote the stories of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer and their adventures on the Mississippi River. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote Little House on the Prairie while living in Mansfield, Missouri. When you visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum, you can visit the museum that tells the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the books that she wrote. You then have the Rocky Ridge Farmhouse and see her writing desk. You then have the Rock House. It was here where Laura wrote the Little House on the Prairie books. As you visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum, you will get the complete story of America’s greatest authors.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! She had to be one amazing woman. She lived in so many places in the American Midwest. Her two homes must be beautiful. There is a very big problem. First, this is not a railroad site. Second, this is not a railroad museum. Third, Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote no stories about railroads. Therefore, you will not see me making a visit to this place.”
You do have a point. This is not a railroad site. It is not a railroad museum. There is no railroad on the property nor was there any railroad here. She never wrote any story about the railroad. This brings us to a very important question: why should you visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum?
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum is a museum that features two houses where Laura Ingalls spent the last years of her life that is located just outside of the town of Mansfield, Missouri. She is buried with her husband at a gravesite in a cemetery that is located in the town, and the public can visit the gravesite. While she was living in Mansfield, like many people, you buy things. When you buy things, some people have their things brought to their homes.
Some of you are saying, “This is nice, but there is no railroad at her house nor has there ever been a railroad at her house.”
That is true. However, there is a railroad in the town of Mansfield, and there was a train station. The train station is no longer active, but the railroad line remains active today and is owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, simply known as BNSF. The town also had a railroad yard, and it was served by a short line railroad known as the Ava Southern Railroad that went to the town of Ava.
What does this have to do with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum?
Laura Ingalls Wilder made much use of the train station in Mansfield as she had many of her things ship to the town of Mansfield by train, and then it was brought to her house. Laura Ingalls Wilder also attended a ceremony celebrating the completion of the Ava Southern Railroad.
Laura Ingalls Wilder never wrote a story about the railroad, but while she was living in Mansfield, Missouri, the railroad was a big part of her life.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum is located at 3060 Missouri Highway A in Mansfield, Missouri. It is open from March 1 to November 15 from 9:00am to 5:00pm from Monday to Saturday and 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday. Parking is on site. Please note that due to the age of the structures, the Rocky Ridge Farmhouse and the Rock House are not wheelchair accessible. You can get more information and read more into the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder at https://lauraingallswilderhome.com/.
Come to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum. See where the Little House on the Prairie was written. See the place where a famous author made her home, and home that made use of the railroad.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 