There are some periods of Laura’s childhood which are not included in the Little House books, such as the time in Burr Oak, Iowa. But Rothman, Missouri is another place Laura and her family lived when she was a very young child, between the time the family resided in the Big Woods of Pepin, Wisconsin and their Little House on the Prairie in Independence, Kansas.
In May 1868, Charles Ingalls and his brother-in-law Henry Quiner purchased adjoining 80 acre plots in Rothville, Missouri, sight unseen, for $900. They left the Big Woods to go to Rothville where they built a claim shanty on the property. Laura lived here with her parents and sister Mary. Henry and Polly Quiner brought their three childre, Louisa, Charles and Henry. Laura and her family would live on this land for a year before they left for Kansas, where Little House on the Prairie takes place. Henry and his family returned to the Big Woods.
After the Ingalls left Kansas and returned to the Big Woods of Pepin, Wisconsin, Charles sold his property back to one of the original sellers, Adamantine Johnson.
There is now a historical marker on the property where Charles Ingalls had his claim, but the claim shanty is no longer standing.
Leave a Reply