In the Little House book series, the Ingalls family moves three times:
- From the Big Woods to Indian Territory – In Little House in the Big Woods, the Ingalls family begins their journey in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. They then move to Indian Territory (present-day Kansas), as depicted in Little House on the Prairie. This move was motivated by Charles Ingalls’ desire for more land and the hope of a better future further west.
- From Indian Territory to Walnut Grove, Minnesota – In On the Banks of Plum Creek, after leaving Indian Territory, the Ingalls family relocates to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Here, they settle near Plum Creek and live in a dugout before eventually building a new house on the land.
- From Walnut Grove to De Smet, Dakota Territory – The final move depicted in the series is from Minnesota to the Dakota Territory (present-day South Dakota). This move is detailed in By the Shores of Silver Lake, where the family settles in De Smet, a town that becomes their long-term home.
These three moves are the main relocations described in the Little House books, but it’s important to note that they do not cover all the moves the Ingalls family made in real life. For example, the series omits the family’s move to Burr Oak, Iowa, where Laura’s baby brother, Charles Frederick Ingalls, passed away. Laura chose not to include this period in the books due to the trauma associated with it. Additionally, the family returned to their home in the Big Woods of Wisconsin after leaving Indian Territory, before eventually moving to Minnesota, a move also not detailed in the series.
In summary, within the context of the Little House books, the Ingalls family moves three times, reflecting the restless spirit of the pioneering era and Charles Ingalls’ continual search for better opportunities. However, the real-life Ingalls family experienced additional moves, some of which Laura chose to omit from her stories.
