Walnut Grove Minnesota

The Ingalls family first arrived in Walnut Grove in 1873 after moving from Pepin Wisconsin. Their first home in Walnut Grove was a small one room sod house located near Plum Creek approximately 1.5 miles north of town. They spent the winter of 1873 in the sod house and in the spring pa built a 3 room house complete with a loft for Laura and Mary to sleep in. The new house was located on the other side of the creek from the sod house.

Today, all that remains of the sod house is a depression in the land. It has been noted that the roof of the sod house collapsed in the 1920's and the walls merged with the surrounding prairie grasses. However, the surrounding area still remains just as Laura described it in her book. This site is located on private property but access is allowed for a minimal fee. At the site you can wade through the creek just as Laura herself may have done. After you cross the footbridge, a short path will take you to the site of the sod house where a marker now stands informing travelers about the site. Directions to the site can be obtained from the museum that is located in town.

In her book On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura mentions a story about a churchbell. As the story goes Pa desperately needed a new pair of boots, but instead he donated the last of his money to the church for a new bell. Today the bell still hangs in the belfry. Although the original church was torn down in 1954, the bell was moved to the English Lutheran Church and is still in use today. There are signs outside the church to inform visitors about the bell.

Each year during the third week of July, Walnut Grove holds a pageant called Fragments of a Dream. This pageant is open to the public and tickets are available at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum.