Day 97 (Aug 21) – On the Banks of Plum Creek

This morning we got up and went back to the LIWMS because I forgot to take two very important photos yesterday: one of me here in this place and one of the surveyor’s house.  We corrected that and then were on our way.  Carmen was sad to leave the city park (playground area) and the Discovery Center.  I was sad to leave the city park ($9!) and the entire town of De Smet.  At least we were heading to another Little House site: Walnut Grove, MN.

It was pretty much on our way east going down country roads (highway 14).  We stopped for lunch at Nellie’s café.  Oh yes we did.  I realize it’s not a true Little House site, but I loved the TV show too!  This café was nothing like the restaurant on the show.  It was a tiny.  We sat at the bar and I had a grilled cheese and sweet potatoes fries.  The town of Walnut Grove is half tied to the books and half to the TV series.  Laura never actually mentioned the town name in her book, only Plum Creek.  The pilot episode of the TV series mentioned Walnut Grove 7 times.  The museum had a room devoted to the books and a room devoted to the show.  I enjoyed them both.  The girls have seen a lot of the TV episodes so they were familiar with that as well.  Along with the museum was a collection of several other odd little displays and buildings:

A Chapel - built by a high school shop class in 1983 ??  Thanks for that.

“Grandma’s House” – an 1890’s home furnished with early 1900’s items.  It also had a quilt exhibit, a doll display and a room devoted to Laura’s writings (her books and letters).

Dugout – really more of a sod house, with the sod falling off, BUT it was made to reflect the size of the Ingalls’ dugout by Plum Creek.

Little Red Schoolhouse – representative of the one-room prairie schools.  Built by the Walnut Grove HS FHA in 1986.

Outhouse – it’s a 2-seater folks!

Early Settler’s Home – brought in from land near Plum Creek.  Two-room pioneer house furnished with period items.

Heritage Lane – Pioneer exhibits (from travelers to early towns).  Several things were hands on so we got to play.  Once again, the girls did not want to leave this area!

We did not go to the homestead site.  Neither of their homes (the dugout or the house) remain and we had to move on.  So goodbye Walnut Grove.  Goodbye Laura.  We’ll keep reading!

Walnut Grove