History

Data@Museums

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society in De Smet, SD, uses census
data to tell the story of De Smet and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Photo courtesy of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society.

Every year, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society in De Smet, SD, creates a new exhibit featuring original Ingalls-Wilder artifacts. One of their main displays is "The Long Winter of 1880–1881," which incorporates De Smet history with information from her sixth book, The Long Winter. They used the United States 1880 Census to show that there were approximately 116 people living in or near De Smet. These residents included the Ingalls family as well as Laura's future husband Almanzo Wilder, who lived with his siblings Eliza Jane and Royal.

To learn more about Laura Ingalls Wilder and the celebrations for her 150th birthday, visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society .