Ingalls Homestead

I was up with the sun after a wonderful night in the "covered wagon" It was really modeled after an 1894 sheepherders wagon, but it was was definitely more comfortable than the tent and we were certainly glad to be in it when the rain came. The sunrise was glorious and the day looked to be a good one.

I had wandered about the homestead before bed last night, so knew about where everything was. We got dressed, packed up and then began wandering around on our own. First was the dugout. Though they had never lived in one here it was the most authentic of the many we had seen. Then there was an original claim shanty from someone elses claim. Tiny and flimsy, hard to see a family of six living there. Then there was the corner with the old cottonwoods which Laura had said Pa had planted when she last visited DeSmet. The hay barn was great. We saw the rooster and a hen out for their morning walk, a mother and three very little kittens just waking up, it felt the most real some how.

Then the little house, rebuilt to the original specifications. It was a wonderful house with a nice size front room with plenty of room for the organ. Then the kitchen and two back bedrooms as well as the whole attic. Very comfy and inviting. We ended up at the barn about 9 am when they had told me the wagon rides would begin. But no one was there so we walked around the farm ourselves. Out to the wheat field and the corn field to the prairie grasses and down to the school house which we explored and enjoyed. All of this was completely by ourselves.

We returned to the office and turned in our key, did some shopping and then I mentioned I was sad to have missed the wagon and wondered if they didn't come on Sunday or if they came later. Oh she said, they started at 10. Well dang. Should we go try to do it? I wanted to try twisting haysticks,,, ah what the heck we needed to do it all right? So we went down, they were twisting rope, and grinding wheat, but not twisting haysticks.

We waited about half an hour for the wagon to take us to the school house. It was worth staying for. The woman driving the horses was great, we all got a chance to hold the reins, the teacher at the school was great, even disciplined the man on the water brigade for not bringing in the water. Very fun stuff. I am absolutely impressed with what they have done with the original land. It had stayed in tact through 30 owners, 160 acres. They have attempted to be very precise with where the buildings are placed and their size and materials. It is a very authentic experience. We walked the land that Laura walked and touched the trees that Pa had planted (thousands he planted, only a half dozen remain.) The slough was still there, just not as big. It was walking in deja vu. Everything we'd read was in fact real.