Living in "The Land of the Big Red Apple"

Living in the oldest house in Mansfield, I have occasion to become quite sentimental about the history of the town and the connection with Laura, Almanzo and Rose.  I think of how things were at the time the Wilder family arrived and lived here.  I'm sure I'll often speak to those feelings throughout my future postings here.  This is just one of those times that I yield to such nostalgic thoughts.

Laura, Almanzo and little seven year old Rose began their journey to their new home in Mansfield on July 17, 1894.  They left DeSmet, South Dakota; having said their tearful goodbyes to all the Ingalls family, and set out on a journey which took them through three states before arriving in Missouri.  It wasn't an easy trip, having to travel by horse-drawn vehicle.  They had traveling companions of the Cooley family most of the way.  They traveled through bad and good weather, but were glad to leave behind a draught-stricken country.  They met interesting folks along the way.  And they kept their faith that they would find a good place to settle, after the poor starts and hard times they had before.

If you'd like to read Laura's diary of the trip, it is in the book, "On the Way Home".  I used that book and other accounts to bring you this description.  By mid-August they had made it more than half the way to their destination.  Their route took them through Lincoln, Nebraska, and on through Topeka, Kansas.  When they reached Fort Scott, Kansas, near the border of Missouri, it was August 21st.  On August 27th they camped near Ash Grove, (Just outside of Springfield, Missouri).  They went through Springfield, whose inhabitants numbered 21,850. (Springfield now boasts of over 150,000!) Upon reaching the outskirts of Mansfield, (Called, "The Gem City of the Ozarks") they found it to be a town of 300 to 400. (It is now around 1300 or so) On August 29th they camped just west of town.  And on Thursday, August 30, 1894 they got their first glimpse of what was to become the final home for Laura and Almanzo.  (Almanzo died here in 1949 and Laura lived on till 1957 - 63 years and wrote all her books here.)

It took Almanzo a few days to find a proper farm for them to buy.  They had high expectations of the area, since they were told about it and saw pictures and posters of, "The Land of the Big Red Apple".  Here, 117 years ago, Laura and Almanzo had found, "Just what they wanted... (and) so much, much more than they'd hoped for."

As the story goes: Laura had hidden a one hundred dollar bill inside her portable writing desk for safe keeping along the way.  That bill represented long, hard hours of work and a hope for their future.  But when she went to retrieve it from the desk, it was missing!  Were all their hopes to be lost?  No, Laura bravely figured that they could go on and work some more, here, to earn enough money to make a payment on something.  But then the bill turned up, as it fell out through a crack where it had fallen during the journey on all those rough roads.

Laura, Almanzo and little Rose made their way into town and bought the farm, which Laura dubbed, "Rocky Ridge", because of all the rocks in the soil.  Along with the farm were a number of sapling apple trees, which would give them a start towards a promising future.  As they made their way into town for the first time, Rose recorded that they saw, "Hoover's Livery Stable".  By the time the Wilder's had arrived in Mansfield, the Hoover family had become the owner of my house.  So, I'm sure they also saw my house at that time. (The house was built, in 1881, by Noah N. Nichols, a former County Commissioner, for his family before the town was incorporated.  And it was later recorded in the local newspaper, "The Mansfield Mirror", that it was the very first house built here.)

The Wilder's friends, the Cooley family, went on to make their home in town, running the hotel near the railroad tracks.   And Rocky Ridge Farm became a very prosperous venture for the Wilder family.  Laura had many occasion to visit inside of my house, during the times she attended meetings of a women's club.  And I wouldn't be surprised to find that she, Almanzo and Rose had visited the house at other times, seeing as they attended the Methodist Church which was directly across the street.

So, when August 30th comes around each year, I get this really close feeling to "The Historical Laura of Mansfield".

I hope you'll come by and visit me sometime and see if you get that same feeling when you step inside my house.

Of Missouri, Almanzo said, "This is beautiful country." I agree!  The Old Man in the Bib Overalls