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Rocky Ridge Farm
The Birthplace of the Little House Books
By Sue Marquette Poremba
Finally the house tour ended in the living room that includes a library nook with built-in shelves no higher than Laura's head and a fireplace made with the fieldstone from the farm.
After taking pictures outside the house (no pictures were allowed inside the house or museum) and after visiting the gift shop, we took the short drive to the Rock House. This house was a gift from Rose Wilder Lane to her parents, a retirement home. Laura and Almanzo moved in, and it was in this house two of the books were written. When we toured the house, it had only recently been opened to the public.
Before leaving Mansfield, we took a drive back into town to visit the grave site of the Wilder family. The grave was covered not only with flowers, but with letters from fans. Even my husband was impressed at how the books touched so many lives so deeply.
We visited the Wilder home in August. Had we been a month later, we would have been able to attend the Laura Ingalls Wilder Festival, which is held the third week of September, and sponsored by the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce.
The trip to Rocky Ridge Farm was a bit out of our way, but my husband said, based on the smile on my face, it was well worth the extra time. For this Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, visiting the Wilder Home and Museum (and seeing Pa's fiddle!) was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
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