It was the war no one remembers. The kittens crawled outdoors from under the roof of the loft and looked like they wanted to climb down the rough wood walls. Because Mankato offers another literary attraction: Maud Hart Lovelace, the author of the Betsy-Tacy series. The U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 was five years before Laura Ingalls was born but had to have influenced how she and her family — especially her mother — felt about Native Americans. It’s $4 per person we just gave $20 for 4 of us... Thick prairie sod covered the roof, and walls were constructed of sod blocks, creating a well-insulated but damp home. The poor man's soddie is small and dark: "I think that's the best exhibit of all,'' he said. The gentleman who made them has passed away, his wife continues to run this location and is nice. "But with all those, there's zero recollection of them, and I know why because of all the buried children alongside them. It’s $4 but worth it The prairie was treeless Yet the ground offered building blocks: Ingenious to build a shelter with sod: Historians think a million of them stood on the prairie. Such a terrific way to bring American history and LIW's story to life! For more about Laura Ingalls Wilder sites in Walnut Grove, Minn., and De Smet, S.D., see Laura land and Little pageants on the prairie. Grand Rapids may not be the Emerald City, but its trees are green, and its lakes glitter. June 11, 2019. As outlaws discovered, this Minnesota college town is small but rarely sleepy. We didn’t notice the kittens until they started to move! In the southwest Wisconsin countryside, expert reenactors bring the misery of war home. On December 26, 1862, 38 Dakota men were hanged at Mankato for the slaying of hundreds of white settlers in what Mrs. Scott refers to as the “Minnesota massacres” in Little House on the Prairie. In this special series, children's literacy consultant Rachael Walker and many of the authors, parents, and educators she’s met and worked with talk about how books have changed their lives, how to bring books to life for young readers, and how to enrich kids’ lives with good books. Twenty miles east of Walnut Grove, the late Stan McCone always told it as it was. But whenever we went outside to help them, they went back in the loft. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. —, Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: Our Story: Life in a Sod House, Women of the West Museum: "There Are No Renters Here". Tips on finding great books, reading nonfiction and more. "There were 13 sod houses in this neighborhood, and those are just the ones we know about,'' he said. Every September, the Civil War comes to an old stagecoach inn in Wisconsin. None remained, so he decided to build one of his own, using an old sod cutter. The ugliness of this history never appears in the Little House books. 1 mi E of junction of Hwy 71 and 14 on the Laura Ingalls Historic Highway, located 20 miles from Walnut Grove. About Prairie Homestead. Our route took us through Mankato, Minnesota. You walk in and think, oh, man, how did they raise children here?''. Watch one-on-one reading support in action with K-3 students, FAQs '', Actually, McCone built two sod houses. That didn’t stop us from talking about it though and discussing why it is important to look at history through multiple perspectives. Get the latest blog posts delivered automatically to your web page, blog or e-mail inbox. There are two comfortable beds with quilts, an armoire, a rocker and a dining table. Avery was excited that there was a wardrobe full of prairie clothes to dress up in. Off the beaten path so plug it in to your GPS and watch for the signs. — There is definitely more we want to know about the Native American tribes and what happened in Minnesota that led up to the events of 1862. Information: Sod House on the Prairie, 507-723-5138. For more, see Written in stone. A northwest Wisconsin resort town keeps a frontier art alive. Themed Booklists Fans of the “Little House on the Prairie” television series may remember Mankato as the “big city” where Pa made deliveries. Book Finder That isn’t much of a Laura-Ingalls-Wilder reason to stop there, but there is a good reason to learn more about Mankato’s history and how it figures into the Ingalls’ journey, actions and attitudes. Jan R, 1 mi E of junction of Hwy 71 and 14 on the Laura Ingalls Historic Highway, located 20 miles from Walnut Grove.