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Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 11:54 am
by oregontocal
Someone on the list suggested visiting the Little House on the Prairie site close to Independence, Kansas, so the other day I did. This website pretty much describes the site and its history, and also includes many of the same pictures I took. But, I'm going to stick them here, anyway. I think the thing that impressed me most about my visit was the almost absolute silence out there on the prairie. Even though there's a major highway fairly nearby, it was beautifully quiet. http://littlehouseontheprairie.com/

The gift shop carries lots of books and other things related to Little House on the Prairie. Very friendly people working there. I bought three books for my grand-daughter since her mother, my youngest daughter, has always loved the books and the TV show.
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Big red barn and some of the little burros. One by one they came over to the fence to check me out.
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Views of the property
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The actual hand-dug well
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This replica of the Ingalls' family cabin was built almost directly on the site of the actual cabin. The builders took their ideas from the books.
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This sign shows the various places Laura Ingalls settled.
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This is the actual post office that served residents of nearby Wayside, Kansas from the turn of the century until the mid-1970s.
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The Sunny Side School was used from 1872 until 1947.
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A sign behind the buildings suggests "Look north and visualize covered wagons coming across the Kansas prairie." So, I did. Can you see them? (take out the power lines, though)
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Re: Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:42 pm
by mitch5252
THANK YOU! Thank you! thank you...

My sweetie, who's not nuts about camping, thinks it might be fun to visit here!!! I'm so excited - we both LOVED the Little House TV show and watched it faithfully! So, he now has a reason to camp! I can't thank you enough! :D

Any recommendations of where to stay? I think I could talk him into a day or so of dry camping, but no more. After that, we'd have to have hookups! OHBOY!!

Re: Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:58 am
by Cedar518
Great trip report and photos. I can't imagine living in that cabin,.... what no internet, no tv, no washer, dryer,... no dishwasher??? :lol: They were certainly hearty folks back then. I'd enjoy that place too. Thanks for such a great tour!

Re: Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:29 pm
by Liz
Mitch,
I believe there is a corps of Engineers cg on Elk City Lake just 5 miles north of there where Carolinagal and I stayed when visiting there. There's also a State Park. COE cgs usually have hook-ups.

Re: Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:39 pm
by dpf
For anyone who is interested there is a really neat "Little House on the Prairie " site in DeSmet SD, eastern side of SD, on your way to the Black Hills. http://www.ingallshomestead.com They have a pageant every year too.

Re: Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:41 am
by Cedar518
Not far from here is Almanzo Wilder's home,... I can't give a report as i haven't been there. Hmmm.... guess I need to do that this year when I'm camping at the St. Lawrence River nearby.

http://www.almanzowilderfarm.com/

Re: Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:08 pm
by AlmostThere
I enjoyed all the links! Thanks for sharing.

Re: Little House on the Prairie, Independence, KS

PostPosted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:27 am
by Nasoosie
GREAT pics! Thanks. Cabin looks a lot like my leanto, but a bit more season-proof! And the huge expansive prairie would make me nervous-----I am so used to sheltering trees and comforting short mountains and hills and lots of water.

I have a school desk like the ones shown in the picture. When I started school in Cambridge, MA, we had inkwells and pens with dipping nibs. One of the classroom jobs was filling the inkwells. If we made a blob while writing an assignment, we had to start all over. All the 'wells' holes were on the right side of the desks, hence left-handers had a real problem reaching over their work to dip the pen! I guess that's why my teacher made me write right-handed, even though I already knew how to write left-handed.