Frequently Asked Questions

Please check to see if the answer to your question is on this page. If not, you may email us with your question. Please be patient, as we receive many emails daily; we try to answer them all, but are not always able to.

1. Where can I order the "Little House" books or related publications?

The Frontier Girl Mercantile carries numerous publications as well as other items of interest. All proceeds are donated to the various Ingalls and Wilder homesites. Several of the homesites also have online gift shops, including: De Smet, Mansfield, and Walnut Grove. We encourage you to support the homesites with your purchases.

2. I am writing a paper on Laura Ingalls Wilder for school. Can you help?

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl has a page to help solve this problem. Click here for instructions which hopefully will help you with your paper.

3. On the "Little House on the Prairie" tv show, there was a character which I cannot find on your pages (e.g. Albert Ingalls, Adam Kendall, etc.). Did they really exist?

The television series based on Laura's books included many characters and events which did not exist in Laura's life. The Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl site was created to provide information about Laura's real life and about her books. We encourage television show fans to read the "Little House" books. A page devoted to answering the questions of television show fans will be posted in the near future.

4. I am planning a vacation to one or more of the Little House sites. Can you give me directions or hours and dates of operation for the homesites? Which sites are the best to visit?

Only you can determine which sites are the best for you to visit. Go to Laura's Homes and read information about what each site has to offer, and make your decision based on this. Links to official homesite websites are also provided on these pages, which should include visitor information. Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl is an unofficial page, not affiliated with any homesite, and therefore cannot answer these questions.

5. May I print out pages of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl to use in a presentation or display at a school or library?

Please see our permission statement.

6. I found a broken link or a picture that didn't load properly on one of your pages. What's wrong?

We try to keep these pages error-free; however, there are now so many pages that it is difficult for us to catch every problem, especially regarding links to sites other than ours that may change addresses without our knowledge. If you run across any of these, please email us, tell us the URL or the name of the page the error is on, and exactly what the problem is so we can fix it as soon as possible. Thanks!

7. I noticed that Caroline, Laura, and Rose all lost infant sons. What did these babies die of, and was it a hereditary condition?

Nobody knows for sure what caused the deaths of these children, but it was probably not hereditary. Freddy seems to have died from a sudden childhood illness, as he lived for nine months and was apparently healthy until just before his death. Laura's and Rose's babies died soon after birth. The mortality rate is higher for infant boys than it is for girls, so it is probably just coincidence that all three babies that died were boys.

8. I heard or read that Laura's daughter Rose really wrote the Little House books. Is this true?

This controversy in recent years was sparked by the publication of William Holtz's book The Ghost in the Little House. Although no one can be absolutely certain what role Rose played in the creation of the Little House books, there is sufficient evidence to discredit Holtz's theory. A close look at the manuscripts of the books and the correspondence between Laura and Rose regarding the books indicates that Laura is indeed the true author of the Little House books. Rose definitely encouraged her mother, and was an invaluable source of help; she edited the books and offered suggestions. It was Laura, however, who made the final decisions. Most importantly, regardless of who wrote the books, it was Laura who lived the life of the pioneer girl that Little House fans admire and love so dearly.

9. In the Little House books, Almanzo is only five years older than Laura, but on this website, it says he is ten years older. Why?

In real life, Almanzo was ten years older than Laura. Laura hated the idea of people thinking of her as a "child bride", however, so she changed his age in the book to make his age closer to hers.

10. Where can I order the Little House on the Prairie television episodes on video?

These are also available at the Frontier Girl Mercantile.

11. I've checked the Frontier Girl Index and this page, and I still can't find the answer to my questions. Can I email you now?

Yes! Email us at frontiergirl@hotmail.com and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible!