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Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie Definitive Guide

Laura Ingalls Wilder & the Little House Books

Home » Frequently Asked Questions About Laura Ingalls Wilder & Little House Books » Was Nellie Oleson a Real Person?

Was Nellie Oleson a Real Person?

When Laura wrote the Little House books, she decided to turn the characters of three different girls from her childhood into the one character Nellie Oleson.  However, the primary basis of Nellie was a girl named Nellie Owens, which is pretty similar to the name Nellie Oleson.

The similarities with Nellie Owens and Nellie Oleson are great.  Nellie Owens also had a brother named Willie.  And Nellie’s father owned the mercantile in Walnut Grove, as in the book.

The second person who was melded into the Nellie Oleson character was Genevieve Masters, who was the daughter of the school teacher in Walnut Grove.  Genevieve was particularly haughty to others, and liked to brag about being from New York.

The third person who is partially portrayed as Nellie Oleson is Stella Gilbert, who was not from Walnut Grove but was from De Smet.

If you are interested in even more about the three girls who were melded into Nellie Oleson in the Little House Books, Robynne Elizabeth Miller has a book, The Three Faces of Nellie Oleson.

The Three Faces of Nellie: The Real Story Behind Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Nellie Oleson'
The Three Faces of Nellie: The Real Story Behind Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Nellie Oleson"
  • Miller, Robynne Elizabeth (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 140 Pages - 11/28/2016 (Publication Date) - Practical Pioneer Press (Publisher)
$14.99
Buy on Amazon

There is also a fictionalized version of the events in the Little House books told from Nellie’s point of view too.

Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls (Little House Sequel)
Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls (Little House Sequel)
  • Hardcover Book
  • Williams, Heather (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 240 Pages - 09/04/2007 (Publication Date) - HarperCollins (Publisher)
$46.13
Buy on Amazon
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