History

The People and the Word: Reading Native Nonfiction

The People and the Word: Reading Native Nonfiction

Focusing on autobiographical writings and critical essays, as well as communally authored and political documents, The People and the Word: Reading Native Non-Fiction explores how the Native tradition of nonfiction has both encompassed and dissected Native experiences.Buy Now!   Author: Robert WarriorPublisher: University of...

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The Underground Reservation: Osage Oil

The Underground Reservation: Osage Oil

The Underground Reservation: Osage Oil explores the impacts that sudden wealth from the discovery of oil on their land had on the Oklahama Osage, making them financially better off than other Native Americans because of their tribally held oil and gas rights. This is an insightful study based on a variety of sources.    Buy...

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The Osage: An Ethnohistorical Study of Hegemony on the Prairie-Plains

The Osage: An Ethnohistorical Study of Hegemony on the Prairie-Plains

The Osage were a powerful group of Native Americans who lived along the prairies and plains of present-day Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Despite their power and critical role, however, little has been written about them. In The Osage: An Ethnohistorical Study of Hegemony on the Prairie-Plains, Willard Rollings shows how the...

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The Osages: Children of the Middle Waters

The Osages: Children of the Middle Waters

The Osages: Children of the Middle Waters is an account of the Osages, a Siouan tribe once centered in the area now occupied by St. Louis, later on small streams in southwestern Missouri and southeastern Kansas, and then in northeastern Oklahoma. Here is a brief overview of the book and author John Joseph Matthews.   Buy Now!...

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Osage Indian Customs and Myths

Osage Indian Customs and Myths

Siouan peoples who migrated from the Atlantic coastal region and settled in the central portion of North America long before the arrival of Europeans are now known as Osage.  Osage Indian Customs and Myths conveys the richness of Osage beliefs and associated ceremonial practices. Here is a brief overview of the book and author Louis F....

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A History of the Osage People

A History of the Osage People

A History of The Osage People traces 400 years of Osage culture from prehistoric times to the group’s current status as an officially recognized tribe. This rich scholarly work includes information about the period of the 1860s when the Ingalls family moved to the Osage Diminished Reserve and were part of an illegal rush of settlers...

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Books About the Osage People

Books About the Osage People

Siouan peoples who migrated from the Atlantic coastal region and settled in the central portion of the North American continent long before the arrival of Europeans are now known as Osage.  The vibrant history of the Osage is that of a proud, spiritual people known for being bold warriors and skilled hunters and farmers.  We are pleased...

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Little House on the Prairie Holiday Giveaway

Little House on the Prairie Holiday Giveaway

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” ― Laura Ingalls Wilder     This holiday season we are partnering with Storiarts and The Queens Treasures®, to bring the spirit of Little House on the Prairie®...

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Laura Ingalls Wilder Historical Timeline

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historical Timeline

Ever wonder about the chronology of events in Laura’s life and the historical context surrounding her experiences? The two timelines below weave some of her major life events with interesting historical milestones in literature, politics, science, and technology.Interactive Timeline Below is the interactive timeline, which allows you to...

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Historical Perspective or Racism in Little House on the Prairie?

Historical Perspective or Racism in Little House on the Prairie?

Imagine you are reading a book that you loved as a child, perhaps you are reading it to your young child, or that you are reading it for the very first time. You come across the words “the only good Indian was a dead Indian.” Do you put the book down in horror, shocked by the cultural insensitivity of the author? Do you decry the author...

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Where the World is Topsy-Turvy: Rose Wilder Lane after the Great War

Where the World is Topsy-Turvy: Rose Wilder Lane after the Great War

It was a faith that made one humble, and a little ashamed… Rose Wilder Lane, “The Children’s Crusade,” Good Housekeeping, November 1920.In the spring of 1920, not long after “The War to End War” staggered to its empty close, Rose Wilder Lane boarded the ship St. Paul in New York and steamed for Paris. Recently divorced, hungry for new...

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Little House on the Prairie Gift Guide

Little House on the Prairie Gift Guide

While the Ingalls family didn’t have many possessions, they delighted in selecting or making thoughtful gifts for each other. We celebrate that giving spirit with our Little House on the Prairie Gift Guide, which we update frequently. Below you will find seven unique gift guides for each Little House fan in your life. Gifts for the...

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Historic Locations and Points of Interest

Historic Locations and Points of Interest

Laura Ingalls Wilder traveled extensively throughout Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri, and beyond. We have compiled a list of the historic sites and museums related to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie, as well as other points of interest.  Please click below to go directly to the listings in...

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Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser Giveaway (CLOSED)

Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser Giveaway (CLOSED)

"Even as she acknowledged the hard labor of milking, churning, raising and caring for chickens, washing, ironing, and cleaning, she praised the path she had chosen as “a freer, happier, healthier life” than any other." Caroline Fraser Millions of readers of Little House on the Prairie believe they know Laura Ingalls - the pioneer girl...

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You Need a Farm! Laura Ingalls Wilder and American Farming

You Need a Farm! Laura Ingalls Wilder and American Farming

A farmer depends on himself, and the land and the weather. If you’re a farmer, you raise what you eat, you raise what you wear, and you keep warm with wood out of your own timber. You work hard, but you work as you please, and no man can tell you to go or come. You’ll be free and independent, son, on a farm. —Farmer Boy“Those who labor...

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Caroline Ingalls – What Laura Left Unsaid

Caroline Ingalls – What Laura Left Unsaid

Seven years ago this month, I was terrified, my finger poised over the send button on an email to Little House Heritage Trust. —Author, Sarah MillerI’d done my homework — read hundreds of feet of microfilm containing thousands of pages of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s handwritten manuscripts, her then-unpublished memoir, Pioneer Girl, and...

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Sweet Potatoes and Pioneers

Sweet Potatoes and Pioneers

Johnny fussed in the bedroom, and Laura quickly pinned her braids, tied on her apron, and said, 'Let me fix the potatoes while you dress him. —These Happy Golden YearsWhen you think of Little House on the Prairie, you may think of the covered wagon journey, Jack the brindle Bulldog's loss and return, log cabin construction or fever ‘n’...

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The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder Inspired Giveaway (CLOSED)

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder Inspired Giveaway (CLOSED)

“The grass grew green again and the woods were full of wildflowers.” Little House in the Big Woods Long before she was a writer, Laura Ingalls Wilder was a gardener and farmer, growing food for the table and raising crops for sale. In the beautifully crafted articles shared with us by Marta McDowell, she depicts Laura Ingalls Wilder as...

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Laura Ingalls Wilder: Naturalist

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Naturalist

Rabbits stood up with paws dangling, long ears twitching, and their round eyes staring at Mary and Laura. —On the Banks of Plum CreekI’d like to suggest a thought experiment. Instead of categorizing Laura Ingalls Wilder as an American children’s author, think of her as a nature writer as well. Take her titles. The Little House books...

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Ed Friendly’s Life and Legacy

Ed Friendly’s Life and Legacy

About Ed Friendly Ed Friendly was born in Manhattan on April 8, 1922. He spent his formative summers on a ranch in Idaho where he fell in love with horses and the American West. He served as an Army captain in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, he worked in New York in advertising, produced and directed radio and television...

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A Little House Picture Book Treasury: Six Stories of Life on the Prairie

A Little House Picture Book Treasury: Six Stories of Life on the Prairie

Our Recommended Reading for Children & Young Adults and Recommended Reading for Adults articles have been popular resources for readers interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie. Here is a brief overview of A Little House Picture Book Treasury: Six Stories of Life on the Prairie.  Buy Now! Author: Laura...

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About Blanche Hanalis

About Blanche Hanalis

I’m often overwhelmed by the thought that what I have written is reaching an audience of forty or fifty million people in a single night. —Blanche Hanalis in The Television Writer’s HandbookEarly Life and Career of Blanche Hanalis Blanche Hanalis was born December 11, 1915, in Ohio, but grew up in the Chicago area. According to her...

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Dr. George A. Tann, Pioneer Physician and Neighbor to the Ingalls

Dr. George A. Tann, Pioneer Physician and Neighbor to the Ingalls

Some of you may recall the doctor who helped the Ingalls family when they fell ill in Chapter 15, “Fever ‘N’ Ague” of Little House on the Prairie. He was based on George A. Tann, a pioneer, physician, and neighbor of the Ingalls family.  We are excited to explore the real-life of Dr. George A. Tann.Late summer in the Midwest is hot,...

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Interview with Barbara Hawkins – Little House Site Tours

Interview with Barbara Hawkins – Little House Site Tours

Today’s interview is with Barbara Hawkins, founder of Little House Site Tours. For fifteen years, Barbara and her husband George have been organizing tours of the Little House on the Prairie Historic Locations that have attracted visitors from around the world. If you would like to participate in a tour, please contact them by visiting...

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Pioneer Kitchen Gardens: How the Pioneers Planned and Planted

Pioneer Kitchen Gardens: How the Pioneers Planned and Planted

For many of us, gardening is a hobby or even a passion. But there are many people leading perfectly satisfying lives without ever having a garden. It hasn’t always been this way. Gardening is depicted as a normal facet of life in the “Little House on the Prairie” television show and book series, because each settler needed a garden in...

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Grown-Up Laura Ingalls Wilder Party

Grown-Up Laura Ingalls Wilder Party

There are many different kinds of Laura fans. No matter what their specific interest, most fans love to “play Laura.” What better way to play Laura than with a party? There are several different ways to theme a Laura party. Today we’re going to look at how to host a Bring Your Own Bonnet party, a party on the prairie.Olde Thyme Party...

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