The question has puzzled researchers for years: what happened with the baby Rose Wilder Lane lost early in her marriage to Gillette Lane? We first heard from Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer Sallie Ketcham back on episode 23 talking about Rose Wilder Lane’s ghostwriting. But she's also the researcher who couldn't stop wondering what exactly happened with the pregnancy Rose had mentioned obliquely over the course of her life. When was Rose pregnant? When did she lose the baby? And where? Sallie uncovered what no one else could. She's on Land of Laura now to talk about what she learned about this part of Rose's life, as well as the research process that led to it. In a bonus episode available on the Land of Laura Patreon, Sallie shares the heavy influence of fairy tales on the writing of Little House in the Big Woods, and the elements of fairy tales that both Laura and Rose relied on to create that book. patreon.com/landoflaura https://www.routledge.com/Laura-Ingalls-Wilder-American-Writer-on-the-Prairie/Ketcham/p/book/9780415820202 https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/laura-ingalls-wilder-and-the-wolves/ https://kellykferguson.substack.com https://naasr.org/products/children-of-ararat https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-50-2/it-was-in-armenia-that-i-learned-fear-rose-wilder-lane-and-the-armenian-genocide/sdh-5002-01.pdf

The question has puzzled researchers for years: what happened with the baby Rose Wilder Lane lost early in her marriage to Gillette Lane? We first heard from Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer Sallie Ketcham back on episode 23 talking about Rose Wilder Lane’s ghostwriting. But she's also the researcher who couldn't stop wondering what exactly happened with the pregnancy Rose had mentioned obliquely over the course of her life. When was Rose pregnant? When did she lose the baby? And where? Sallie uncovered what no one else could. She's on Land of Laura now to talk about what she learned about this part of Rose's life, as well as the research process that led to it. In a bonus episode available on the Land of Laura Patreon, Sallie shares the heavy influence of fairy tales on the writing of Little House in the Big Woods, and the elements of fairy tales that both Laura and Rose relied on to create that book. patreon.com/landoflaura https://www.routledge.com/Laura-Ingalls-Wilder-American-Writer-on-the-Prairie/Ketcham/p/book/9780415820202 https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/laura-ingalls-wilder-and-the-wolves/ https://kellykferguson.substack.com https://naasr.org/products/children-of-ararat https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-50-2/it-was-in-armenia-that-i-learned-fear-rose-wilder-lane-and-the-armenian-genocide/sdh-5002-01.pdf

Sallie Ketcham: "Whatever Happened to Baby Lane?"

After attending the very first LauraPalooza conference in 2010 put on by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, researcher and educator Susan Thurlow prepared a project for the next conference in 2012. Her topic: Dr. George Tann, an African-American character from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s 1935 book Little House on the Prairie. As a parent of several African American and Afro-Caribbean children, Susan made this a family project, involving several of her children in the creation of a biographical booklet Dr. George Tann: Black Frontier Physician. With the new Netflix TV show out in 2026, Dr. Tann is again at the forefront of Little House conversation. But what do we really know about his real life? Susan has continued to study Dr. Tann, and now she's in the Land of Laura studio to tell us all about him. Mentioned in this episode:Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum https://www.cspm.org/Rockledge Ranch Historic Site https://rockledgeranch.com/Doctor Who Fetched the Family Dog by Eileen Miles Charbo (out of print) https://www.abebooks.com/9789996289255/Doctor-Fetched-Family-Dog-Story-9996289257/plpSarah Uthoff of Trundlebed Tales https://www.trundlebedtales.com/index.html"Dr. Tann, a Pioneer Physician and Neighbor to the Ingalls" on the official Little House on the Prairie site https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/dr-george-a-tann-pioneer-physician-and-neighbor-to-the-ingalls/The All-White World of Children's Books by Nancy Larrick (search the Internet for the PDF)Researcher Nancy Cleaveland pioneergirl.comDiploma Mill by David Alan Johnson https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2017/diploma-mill/

After attending the very first LauraPalooza conference in 2010 put on by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, researcher and educator Susan Thurlow prepared a project for the next conference in 2012. Her topic: Dr. George Tann, an African-American character from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s 1935 book Little House on the Prairie. As a parent of several African American and Afro-Caribbean children, Susan made this a family project, involving several of her children in the creation of a biographical booklet Dr. George Tann: Black Frontier Physician. With the new Netflix TV show out in 2026, Dr. Tann is again at the forefront of Little House conversation. But what do we really know about his real life? Susan has continued to study Dr. Tann, and now she's in the Land of Laura studio to tell us all about him. Mentioned in this episode: Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum https://www.cspm.org/ Rockledge Ranch Historic Site https://rockledgeranch.com/ Doctor Who Fetched the Family Dog by Eileen Miles Charbo (out of print) https://www.abebooks.com/9789996289255/Doctor-Fetched-Family-Dog-Story-9996289257/plp Sarah Uthoff of Trundlebed Tales https://www.trundlebedtales.com/index.html "Dr. Tann, a Pioneer Physician and Neighbor to the Ingalls" on the official Little House on the Prairie site https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/dr-george-a-tann-pioneer-physician-and-neighbor-to-the-ingalls/ The All-White World of Children's Books by Nancy Larrick (search the Internet for the PDF) Researcher Nancy Cleaveland pioneergirl.com Diploma Mill by David Alan Johnson https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2017/diploma-mill/

Who Really Was Dr. George Tann?

Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in Mansfield, Missouri from 1894 until her death in 1957. Today, the farmhouse she and her husband, Almanzo, built, as well as the stone cottage known as the Rock House that their daughter Rose Wilder Lane designed and had built for them, are all part of the homesite in Mansfield. Collectively, the homesite is known by the name Laura gave it: Rocky Ridge Farm. Visitors to Rocky Ridge can tour the farmhouse, the Rock House, and a museum that houses an impressive collection of Wilder-related artifacts, including Pa’s fiddle – the actual instrument Charles Ingalls played for his family that we all read about in the Little House books. Mansfield native Michelle Underwood has been a docent at Rocky Ridge since 2018, shortly after she moved back to her hometown. In 2023 Michelle released LAURA INGALLS WILDER'S ROCKY RIDGE FARM, a guidebook to the homesite that details everything a tourist might see at Rocky Ridge. In this episode, Land of Laura talks to Michelle about her book, her job, and what it’s like to be behind the scenes at Laura’s Rocky Ridge. https://www.amazon.ca/Laura-Ingalls-Wilders-Rocky-Ridge/dp/B0CHL5FG25https://lauraingallswilderhome.com/

Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in Mansfield, Missouri from 1894 until her death in 1957. Today, the farmhouse she and her husband, Almanzo, built, as well as the stone cottage known as the Rock House that their daughter Rose Wilder Lane designed and had built for them, are all part of the homesite in Mansfield. Collectively, the homesite is known by the name Laura gave it: Rocky Ridge Farm. Visitors to Rocky Ridge can tour the farmhouse, the Rock House, and a museum that houses an impressive collection of Wilder-related artifacts, including Pa’s fiddle – the actual instrument Charles Ingalls played for his family that we all read about in the Little House books. Mansfield native Michelle Underwood has been a docent at Rocky Ridge since 2018, shortly after she moved back to her hometown. In 2023 Michelle released LAURA INGALLS WILDER'S ROCKY RIDGE FARM, a guidebook to the homesite that details everything a tourist might see at Rocky Ridge. In this episode, Land of Laura talks to Michelle about her book, her job, and what it’s like to be behind the scenes at Laura’s Rocky Ridge. https://www.amazon.ca/Laura-Ingalls-Wilders-Rocky-Ridge/dp/B0CHL5FG25 https://lauraingallswilderhome.com/

Inside Rocky Ridge Farm: Interview with Michelle Underwood

We've all been anticipating the launch of the first season of the 2026 version of Little House on the Prairie on Netflix. Was it going to be like the 1970s Michael Landon show? Would it adhere closely to the book series, or would it deviate? How would they depict the Osage Native Americans? What would be added — or subtracted — to complete their vision? Land of Laura invited Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer Pamela Smith Hill along with The Wilder Life author Wendy McClure to come to the studio and offer their reactions to the 8 episodes of the first season. From Hallmark to the Civil War to Days of Heaven, Pamela and Wendy, along with host Sandra Hume, discuss influences, oversights, inspiration, and what the showrunners got exactly right. Mentioned in the episode:<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Heaven" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Days of Heaven</a> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Heaven)<a href="www.pioneergirl.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Pioneer Girl website </a>(www.pioneergirl.com)<a href="https://decortoadore.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Laura Ingalls Gunn</a> (https://decortoadore.net/)<a href="https://www.sdhspress.com/books/pioneer-girl-the-annotated-autobiography" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Pioneer Girl</a>, Wilder's autobiography (https://www.sdhspress.com/books/pioneer-girl-the-annotated-autobiography)<a href="www. wendymcclure.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Wendy McClure</a> (www. wendymcclure.net)<a href="www.pamelasmithhill.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Pamela Smith Hill</a> (www.pamelasmithhill.com)

We've all been anticipating the launch of the first season of the 2026 version of Little House on the Prairie on Netflix. Was it going to be like the 1970s Michael Landon show? Would it adhere closely to the book series, or would it deviate? How would they depict the Osage Native Americans? What would be added — or subtracted — to complete their vision? Land of Laura invited Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer Pamela Smith Hill along with The Wilder Life author Wendy McClure to come to the studio and offer their reactions to the 8 episodes of the first season. From Hallmark to the Civil War to Days of Heaven, Pamela and Wendy, along with host Sandra Hume, discuss influences, oversights, inspiration, and what the showrunners got exactly right. Mentioned in the episode: Days of Heaven (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Heaven) Pioneer Girl website (www.pioneergirl.com) Laura Ingalls Gunn (https://decortoadore.net/) Pioneer Girl, Wilder's autobiography (https://www.sdhspress.com/books/pioneer-girl-the-annotated-autobiography) Wendy McClure (www. wendymcclure.net) Pamela Smith Hill (www.pamelasmithhill.com)

We've all been anticipating the launch of the first season of the 2026 version of Little House on the Prairie on Netflix. Was it going to be like the 1970s Michael Landon show? Would it adhere closely to the book series, or would it deviate? How would they depict the Osage Native Americans? What would be added — or subtracted — to complete their vision? Land of Laura invited Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer Pamela Smith Hill along with The Wilder Life author Wendy McClure to come to the studio and offer their reactions to the 8 episodes of the first season. From Hallmark to the Civil War to Days of Heaven, Pamela and Wendy, along with host Sandra Hume, discuss influences, oversights, inspiration, and what the showrunners got exactly right. Mentioned in the episode:<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Heaven" rel="noopener noreferrer">Days of Heaven</a> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Heaven)<a href="www.pioneergirl.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pioneer Girl website </a>(www.pioneergirl.com)<a href="https://decortoadore.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Laura Ingalls Gunn</a> (https://decortoadore.net/)<a href="https://www.sdhspress.com/books/pioneer-girl-the-annotated-autobiography" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pioneer Girl</a>, Wilder's autobiography (https://www.sdhspress.com/books/pioneer-girl-the-annotated-autobiography)<a href="www. wendymcclure.net" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wendy McClure</a> (www. wendymcclure.net)<a href="www.pamelasmithhill.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pamela Smith Hill</a> (www.pamelasmithhill.com)

Understanding the Assignment: Netflix's Little House on the Prairie

Anyone who's done any research beyond simply reading the Little House books knows the name William Anderson. But how did the preeminent biographer of Laura Ingalls Wilder get his start? Here it is, William Anderson's Little House origin story, in his own words. ===================Theme music is "Roll the Old Chariot Along" from the album Green Willow by the Dreadnaughts. Used with permission.====================

Anyone who's done any research beyond simply reading the Little House books knows the name William Anderson. But how did the preeminent biographer of Laura Ingalls Wilder get his start? Here it is, William Anderson's Little House origin story, in his own words. ===================Theme music is "Roll the Old Chariot Along" from the album Green Willow by the Dreadnaughts. Used with permission.====================

William Anderson Origin Story

What is Land of Laura? Why do we need another Little House podcast? In this premiere episode we'll tell you what this podcast is all about and let you know what you can expect in future episodes. ===================Theme music is "Roll the Old Chariot Along" from the album Green Willow by the Dreadnaughts. Used with permission.====================

What is Land of Laura? Why do we need another Little House podcast? In this premiere episode we'll tell you what this podcast is all about and let you know what you can expect in future episodes. ===================Theme music is "Roll the Old Chariot Along" from the album Green Willow by the Dreadnaughts. Used with permission.====================

Once Upon a Time, More Than 150 Years Ago

Land of Laura is the irreverent yet scholarly podcast about all things Laura Ingalls Wilder. Were you crazy about the Ingalls family as a kid? Are the Little House books your Roman Empire? This podcast offers Little House and Laura Ingalls Wilder fans incredible, relevant insight from authors, historians, researchers, museum professionals, TV producers, scientists — anyone with something unique to contribute to the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Heavy on Gen X, it's Little House for grownups.

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