Summary

In February of 1874, Charles Ingalls and his family left Wisconsin for Minnesota, and they were on the road on Laura's 7th birthday, when Charles bought her a book of illustrated poems. While he was a poor farmer, he was also very literate. He wrote in a good hand (meaning his handwriting was good), and he loved reading and valued his books. The family passed through New Ulm, which had been rebuilt after the wars with the Dakota. Charles filed a claim on 172 acres near a town that would become Walnut Grove.

The family lived in a dugout constructed of sod strips, common housing on the Great Plains. While they offered sound insulation, they were damp and dirty. The girls enjoyed Plum Creek, particularly swimming in the creek. Charles planted wheat, and he and Caroline organized a Congregational society. They were lifetime...