As a child, the Ingalls family moved around a lot for various reasons. Here is a list of places and dates (years only) where the Ingalls lived. This list also includes the places Laura and her husband, Almanzo, lived.
1867: Pepin, Wisconsin
1869: Independence, Kansas
1871: Pepin, Wisconsin
1874: Walnut Grove, Minnesota
1876: Burr Oak, Iowa
1877: Walnut Grove, Minnesota
1879: DeSmet, South Dakota (in 1881 Laura’s sister, Mary, moves to Vinton, Iowa, to attend the school for the blind located there)
1885: Laura marries Almanzo Wilder in DeSmet, South Dakota
1890-1891: Laura, Almanzo, and daughter, Rose, move to Spring Valley, Minnesota, then to Westville, Florida, because of Almanzo’s health
1892: Laura and family move back to DeSmet, South Dakota
1894: Laura and family move to Mansfield, Missouri (1949: Almanzo dies; 1957: Laura dies. Both are buried in Mansfield, Missouri.)
We did not visit the places where Laura lived in chronological order. I decided to just blog about the places we visited in the order in which we visited them. So, our next visit was to Spring Valley, Minnesota.
Spring Valley, Minnesota, is where Laura Ingalls’s husband, Almanzo Wilder, spent the last part of his childhood. Almanzo was born in Burke, New York, on February 13, 1857. His parents (James and Angeline Wilder) and family moved to Spring Valley, Minnesota, in 1870 when he was thirteen years old to establish a farm. Spring Valley’s historical significance mostly centers around the Wilder family, however, as you can see from the chronological list of places where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived (above), she and Almanzo did live there for a short time.
The Wilder family attended Spring Valley Methodist Church. As early as 1858, the church began raising money toward a building while they met regularly in an upstairs hall in town. Construction on the church finally started in 1876 when the lot on West Courtland Street was purchased. James Wilder was among the early contributors. His pledge of $50 was one of the largest amounts.
Church records show that pastors or presiding elders baptized and performed marriage rites for Almanzo’s two sisters (Eliza Jane Wilder and Laura Ann Wilder). Records also show that Almanzo and Laura (Ingalls) Wilder attended there in 1890 and 1891.
The church’s Victorian-Gothic architecture showcases 21 stained glass windows (Italian stained glass, circa 1715) and beautiful wooden arches and moldings. The church is now a museum which offers guided tours for a nominal fee.
The floor which was the sanctuary is filled with a vast array of church memorabilia from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also has several board displays with information pertaining to the Wilder family and when Laura and Almanzo lived in Spring Valley. The tour guides are VERY knowledgeable and the tour was fascinating.
You can see just a FEW of the boards with information about the Wilder family on them. Our guide took us around all the boards and told us all about the Wilder family and Laura and Almanzo.
Our tour guide for the upstairs level ringing the church bell.
The basement level of the church contains a multitude of varied displays the town’s history. It is by FAR one of the best displays of late 1800s through mid 1900s relics we have ever seen. Some of the things we saw were: an 1874 fire truck wagon, an old chicken incubator that heats with kerosene, a “summer” oven and stove that also heats with kerosene, an old fire extinguisher in the shape of a very large light bulb filled with a chemical to put out a kitchen fire, an old electric permanent wave machine, an astonishing collection of old cameras, and I could go on and on!!
I will just let these pictures do the rest of the “talking,” and you can see for yourself.
Interesting fact: Richard Sears was a boyhood chum of Almanzo Wilder’s. By 1886 he founded the R. W. Sears Watch Company. When he moved his company to Chicago he became friends with Alvah Roebuck who joined the company in 1893. And, as they say … “the rest is history!” In 1906 a mail order plant was built in Chicago and became the largest business building.
The summer stove and stove top summer oven.
A picture of the Wilder boys (L. to R.: Perley, Royal, and Almanzo) taken in 1891. There were a lot more pictures of the Wilder family in the museum, but this place really didn’t want you taking pictures of the pictures (unless one of your party was standing next to the picture). I guess they just want you to come by and tour the museum yourself some day.
The Wilder’s home (now a private residence).
The Wilder’s barn and farm property. The barn is scheduled to be torn down soon (what a shame!) because the present-day owners cannot get insurance for it.
I don’t know anything about this building or if it was connected to the Wilders. It was close to the Wilder’s barn and I thought it would make a pretty picture. 😊
After we left the church, we drove around the town. There were some interesting old buildings in the historic downtown area. There were also some beautiful old homes.
This corner building was once a store owned by one of the Wilders.
You can see the Wilder’s church/museum from the main business street.
This was one of the most beautiful old homes I’ve ever seen. You could tell it had been restored and the brick painted (WHY did they do that?!). I wish I would have taken more pics of some of the other older homes.
We drove out to the Spring Valley Cemetery where we were told some of the Wilders were buried. We found Almanzo’s brother, Royal’s, grave site, but didn’t find any of the others. Most of the original headstones were difficult to read from age and some kind of fungus or moss-type stuff growing on them. It looked as though Royal’s gravestone had been replaced.
After that, we headed home to the RV.
We will be taking another trip on the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Route soon.
Betty, what a great blog! I’m so glad you took pictures of the barn. Its so sad they have to tear it down. As I read your words I felt like I was reading about old friends. So I can hardly wait for your next installment. Love you 3. 🤗💕
WONDERFUL photos and explanation! I am planning the northern route tour of Laura sites, and will now add Spring Valley. I look forward to sitting in a church Laura and Almanzo attended. I wish we could plan to be there on a Sunday. Thank-you!!!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the places as much as I did. I would go to all the places again. My husband was very tolerant the first time; I don’t think he would be as tolerant a second time. 🤣 Enjoy your visit!
Sep 15, 2018 @ 20:23:00
Betty, what a great blog! I’m so glad you took pictures of the barn. Its so sad they have to tear it down. As I read your words I felt like I was reading about old friends. So I can hardly wait for your next installment. Love you 3. 🤗💕
Sep 15, 2018 @ 20:27:21
Thanks!
Jul 21, 2022 @ 10:39:52
WONDERFUL photos and explanation! I am planning the northern route tour of Laura sites, and will now add Spring Valley. I look forward to sitting in a church Laura and Almanzo attended. I wish we could plan to be there on a Sunday. Thank-you!!!
Jul 21, 2022 @ 13:06:18
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the places as much as I did. I would go to all the places again. My husband was very tolerant the first time; I don’t think he would be as tolerant a second time. 🤣 Enjoy your visit!