Little House on the Prairie
Walnut Grove—you’ve heard of it. It is the childhood home of Laura Ingalls. She would one day become the wife of Almanzo “Manly” Wilder. In adulthood, she would become the well-known and much-beloved author of the Little House on the Prairie series of books that, although first published when she was 65 years old, featured stories of her life as a young girl. Walnut Grove is the home of one of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum sites, and is a popular stop for families, many of whom are home-schoolers. They read the books and follow the multi-state path Laura’s stories lead, sometimes referred to as “the trail.”
I took advantage, for a time, of the tourist attraction aspect of the town. My home was listed on AirBnb. I offered three rooms for rent: Little Room on the Prairie, a tiny little room not much bigger than a full sized bed; Plum Corner, a large corner room named for Plum Creek, the site of the Ingalls family dugout. With two queen beds, there was plenty of room for four; and Rose’s Room, named after Laura’s daughter, Rose, and decorated with art depicting, the slightly literal theme of roses. This small double queen room was a bit tight but no one complained. No one stayed more than one or two nights, rarely three—if ever. The single bathroom was shared by all the guests. The eardrum-shattering train whistle was no extra charge.
On rare occasions the museum curator, would ask if I had a room for a visiting party—which I always did—and with her recommendation I was able to trust they would be a safe bet. Indeed, my first guest was a curator-counterpart from the Wilder Museum in Burr Oak, Iowa. I had the pleasure of hosting singer Hailey Steele who came to perform at the Loose Gravel Music Festival held the weekend after the pageant. One time the Little House on the Prairie television series held a cast member reunion and three lovely ladies were placed with me. Most of my guests were run-of-the-mill AirBnb folks who preferred my run-of-the-mill farm house over a neighboring town’s run-of-the-mill motel.
Then, one day in mid-2020, AirBnb took an action that compelled me to disassociate myself from their company. These days, I have no affiliation with that particular vacay network or any other. All overnight stays are by curated by me.
Every summer, for the three weekends following the 4th of July, the Wilder Pageant Committee presents live Friday- and Saturday-evening performances on an outdoor stage. The cast tells the story of the Ingalls family’s arrival in Walnut Grove. The performers and crew are community volunteers. It’s worth a visit if you’re in the area. You can buy a seat in a chair, or bring a blanket and set up your own chair on the lawn. The best part, if you ask me, beyond the very clever set design, is the theme song, “Fragments of a Dream” written and performed by my angel-voiced neighbor.
She is also the owner of a darling little country decor store called PJ’s Vintage Market. There are other shops in Walnut Grove, too! Junk with Purpose sells upcycled salvage, antiques and vintage finds, home decor, furniture, yarn, paint, and more. Fond Memories has a huge selection of art and craft supplies. Nellie’s Cafe is open for a damn decent breakfast and lunch. Walnut Grove Bar and Grill has real good food, a full bar, and a stand-alone liquor store. Bubai Foods is a half-asian grocery with a limited selection but somehow they always seem to have what you need. Half-asian refers to the fact that half the store is oriental cuisine. the owners are American Hmong. Hoyt Oil & Convenience is where you buy lottery tickets, get cash, gas, air and if Bubai is closed, milk. The town is one square mile, so everything is walkable…except getting to the town…Walnut Grove is far away from everything. Blessedly far.
