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Florence Bell

Milliner and dressmaker in De Smet.

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pokeberry

For rosy doll cheeks.

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what-not / whatnot

An étagère for books & ornaments.

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“Sing a Song of Sixpence”

Mother Goose rhyme.

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poll

No horns.

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Commentators on the Ac’s

Pa’s charade pun.

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gopher

Four don’t go fur…

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Doxology

Old Hundred.

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Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls

Heather Williams book.

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bobolink

On Mary Power’s name card.

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birds’-nest pudding

Dessert made of apples baked in syrup and served with cream.

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copperplate

Variable-width handwriting script made with a flexible, pointed nib.

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George A. Williams

Superintendent of Schools, 1883.

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Spookendyke

Rose’s stubborn donkey

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lantern

A light meant to be carried.

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Army bugle

Brass military horn.

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“Lend a Helping Hand”

Hymn #22, Pure Gold for Sunday School.

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Ingalls office / store in De Smet

NW and SE corners of Calumet and Second.

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President James Madison

4th President of the U.S.

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bale

Specific bundle of goods packaged for transport.

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Eleck Nelson family

Neighbors of the Ingalls family when living on their preemption claim north of Walnut Grove.

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“The Mulligan Guard” / “The Skidmore Guard”

Harrigan & Hart minstrel show.

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ash withe / ash-withe

A flexible, slender twig or branch used as a band for tying.

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osage orange

no good to eat or for anything else

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Albert Quiner

Laura’s cousin.

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“For the Sake o’ Somebody”

1794 Robert Burns poem.

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Farmer Boy – the fictional story

Almanzo Wilder’s childhood in Burke NY.

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Thomas Quiner

Ma’s brother and Laura’s uncle

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Dr. Alfred Starr

His wife wanted Laura.

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checkers

Game played on a board of 64 squares.

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twin lakes

Lake Henry & Lake Thompson

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“The Swan’s Nest”

Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem.

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“The Silver Moon”

Sail on, silver moon…

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chestnut / horse chestnut

A large nut, the fruit of a species of Æsculus.

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Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad

1793 Robert Burns poem.

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sewing machine

“Such beautiful stitching!”

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worm / angleworm

common soil worm

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Bibliography

LIW / RWL books & articles

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Reverend Edward Brown

Minister of the First Congregational Church of De Smet, 1880-1884.

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“Darling Nellie Gray”

1856 Benjamin Hamby song.

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isinglass

mica for stove windows

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greenhorn / greeny

Immature, raw, awkward.

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“The Star of Bethlehem”

When Marshalled on the Nightly Plane

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pumpkin

The plant and fruit of Curcubita pepo

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wonderful house / frame house

Wooden house built on Charles Ingalls’ Plum Creek preemption claim.

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chilblain

Cold sores on hands and feet.

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nutmeg

Myristica moschata, used as a spice.

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Charles Lamson

Almanzo’s cousin.

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The House that Jack Built

…for two pieces of money.

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The Long Winter – historical perspective

The Hard Winter of 1880-1881.

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Y

“Yankee Doodle” – Youth’s Companion

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“The Star-Spangled Banner”

Our National Anthem; words by Francis Scott Key.

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slate

Stone used as tablet for writing upon.

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“The Heavens Declare the Glory”

From The Conqueror, page 144.

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“The Sculptor Boy”

Carrie recited it.

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John Armstrong

Kingsbury Co. courthouse caretaker

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Waverly Novels

Sir Walter Scott books.

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butter

Edible fatty substance made by churning cream.

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mother-of-pearl

Hard, silvery, brilliant, internal layer of several kinds of shells, particularly oysters.

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windrow

Line of hay raked together.

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claim jumper / Mr. Hunter / Jack Hunt

One who ousts another from their land.

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Big Tracy Cut

“100 feet deep & tapering off for 1/4 mile”

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amen / amen corner

Expression used at the end of prayers.

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smoke stack / smokestack

locomotive firebox chimney

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acre

4840 square yards of land.

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Thomas P. Power family

De Smet tailor.

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“Uncle John”

Play song to the tune of Yankee Doodle.

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wristlets

Knitted bands worn around the wrists for warmth.

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Silas Rood

Rude by name & nature?

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Freddy Ingalls

Laura’s brother (1875-1876)

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Dolly Varden

NIckname of Edith Ingalls, Laura’s cousin.

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photographs

There’s a little birdie in the camera, Rose.

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gingerbread

Chocolate frosting adds to the goodness!

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Poverty Flat

Early De Smet residential area.

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“Marching Through Georgia”

Union song from American Civil War.

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fever ‘n’ ague / malaria

malaria

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“Here’s to the Maiden”

1780 R.B. Sheridan drinking song.

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Grace Pearl Ingalls

Youngest sister of Laura Ingalls; she lived 1877-1941.

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Eskimo / igloo

Tribes of arctic America and Greenland. / Snow hut.

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Charles Ely

Early lumber man in De Smet.

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railroad cut / fill

How you level a railroad grade.

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crocheted rag rug

Crocheted floor covering made of strips of cloth.

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Walnut Grove during the Little House years

Village in Redwood County, Minnesota

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Becky Newhall / Rebecca Stewart

Classmate of Laura Ingalls in De Smet.

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Have you seen the comet?

Tebbutt’s Great Comet of 1881.

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herd

A number of large beasts assembled together.

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“Don’t Leave the Farm, Boys”

Song from The Conqueror.

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nickel

The metal. Or five-cent piece.

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Supposed Speech of Regulus

From Independent Fifth Reader.

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thunder-pumps

American bittern, a member of the heron family.

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crow

Large black bird of genus Corvus.

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“Life Let Us Cherish”

1796 Swiss song translated to English.

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The Story of Art Smith

1915 Rose Wilder Lane serial about an aviator.

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Laura’s wedding silver

Wm. Rogers’ “Crown” silverplate.

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J

jabot – Justice of the Peace

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copper

Cu

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Mr. Edwards / Edmund Mason

Was he Edmund Mason?

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Old Military Tract

Franklin Co. NY map reference

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“The Sleighing Glee”

Singing school song.

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Orion E. Stearns

Caught by blizzard of ’88.

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Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography

Laura’s handwritten manuscript.

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perforated paper embroidery

Stitched designs.

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poor man’s fertilizer

Snow plowed into a field.

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“Pull for the Shore”

Sunshine for Sunday Schools hymn.

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Horace Woodworth family

Family of first depot agent in De Smet.

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Charles Barker

Early De Smet grocer.

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mummy

Put. that. back.

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swimming hole

Watch out for ankle grabbers!

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stone fences

Rock wall enclosure.

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button lamp

Improvised grease lamp.

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“The Blue Juniata”

1841 Marion Dix Sullivan song.

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Stories of the Moorland

1869 book by Lizzie Bates about a young boy growing up in Scotland.

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“nervous as a witch”

restless

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windlass

Device to move water or dirt from the bottom of a well to ground level.

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Laura’s Sorosis Club speech

“My Work”

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How well do you know the Little House books?

a quiz for you!

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mustache

Hair above the lip.

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tattoo

Sounds like beating drums!

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K

Kansas – knothole

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huckleberry

Let’s have some pie!

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grippe

influenza

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button

who’s got one?

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writ of attachment

Legal document requiring action.

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apple pie / dried apple pie

Just like Ma used to make.

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engine / locomotive / iron horse

Vehicle powered by steam and run on tracks.

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The Advance

Weekly family newspaper of the Congregational church.

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whip

A lash tied to a handle.

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fascinator

Pretty, light head covering.

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tomahawk

War hatchet used by American Indians.

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blacking / stove-blacking / boot blacking

Preparation used to make things black.

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killdeer

Small aquatic bird.

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cornice

Molded roof or window projection.

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sulky / sulky plow

One-seated conveyance.

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Edward H. Couse

Early hardware store owner in De Smet.

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muff

A warm covering for receiving the hands.

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“Rock of Ages”

1760s Augustus Toplady hymn.

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“Beware!”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem.

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“My Jenny Jerusha Jane”

1868 A.G. Chase song.

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milking-stool

Three legs (the cow has the udder).

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cottonwood tree

Wetland plains tree, Populus fremontii.

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“Golden Years are Passing By”

1879 Will Thompson song.

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Burke / Malone during the Little House years

Almanzo Wilder birthplace.

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Charlotte Holbrook

Laura’s “Aunt Lotty”

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“Uncle Ned”

One of the earliest Stephen Foster songs.

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spoon holder / spoon-holder / spoonholder

Any vessel used to hold and display spoons.

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carved wooden bracket

Place for a china shepherdess.

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cottage cheese

Curdled skim milk.

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twilight

Light when the sun is 0-18 degrees below the horizon.

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Charles Trousdale

De Smet drayman and his performing sons.

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hardtack

Unleavened hard bread made from flour and water.

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certificate

Written testimony of fact.

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“Lilly Dale” / “Lily Dale”

1852 song by H.S. Thomson.

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Uncle Sam

Figure symbolizing the United States.

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T

tableland – two-faced

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school section

Public land supporting schools.

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“Dakota Land”

1876 hymn, Beulah Land.

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breast-pin / brooch / bar pin

Ornament worn on clothing.

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“The Polish Boy”

Poem by Ann S. Stephens

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“Give us this day our daily bread”

The City, a Mc Kee plain glassware pattern.

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“Old Dan Tucker”

Mr. Edwards sings it!

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William O’Connell

Fictional Bill O’Dowd.

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“A Shelter in the Time of Storm”

Ira Sankey hymn.

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fichu

Light pointed cape worn by ladies, usually made of lace.

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swan

Cygnus Americanus

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roller skates / rink

Wheeled frame for the shoe.

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twisting hay

makes a hot, quick fire

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beard / whiskers

Facial hair.

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Little Town on the Prairie – the fictional story

Homesteading and town life.

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“Merry, Merry Christmas”

Hymn Number 150 in Pure Gold for Sunday Schools.

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Timothy Johnson family

De Smet Wagon Shop.

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F

Fair Grounds – furrow

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claim

The land to which one has a right.

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flag

the banner

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“Old Folks at Home”

Way down upon the Swanee River!

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Horace / Homer Heath

Railroad-working brothers.

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saleratus / soda

Leavening agents used in baking.

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gaiters

Cloth ankle covering.

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honey

Bee-made sweetness.

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Frank M. Cooley family

On the Way home travelers.

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dipper / ladle / skimmer

Used to remove foam when boiling maple sap.

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“Polly Wolly Doodle”

Daniel Decatur Emmett song.

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lief

Gladly; willingly; freely.

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Jacob Hopp

Printer and De Smet newspaper owner.

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roller towel

Long towel with ends sewn together, hung on a rod.

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picket rope / pin / line

animal tether

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Laura’s Bible references

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s hand-written list of Bible verses to be read in times of trouble or stress.

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“Pop! Goes the Weasel”

Traditional American song.

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H. W. Cooledge

De Smet photographer.

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coal / coal hod

Carbonized plant matter mined and used as fuel.

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“Uncle Sam’s Farm”

1848 Jesse Hutchinson, Jr. song.

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“The Burial of Sir John Moore”

1817 poem by Charles Wolfe.

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Little House on the Prairie – the fictional story

The Ingallses in Indian Territory.

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willow-ware

Blue-and-white tableware with Chinese story paintings.

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South Troy / Zumbro Falls during the Little House years

Ingallses lived here with Uncle Peter.

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Silver Lake

Kingsbury County prairie pothole lake.

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Henry Burvee

One of the first settlers in Kingsbury Co.

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threshing

Beating to separate.

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oranges

Citrus fruit.

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Mr. Hanson

Walnut Grove land trader.

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The Long Winter – the fictional story

Winter for seven months!

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