On the Banks of Plum Creek
Encyclopedia
On the Banks of Plum Creek is a children's book written in 1937 by Laura Ingalls Wilder
. The fourth of nine books written in her Little House series, it is based on Laura's childhood at Plum Creek
near Walnut Grove, Minnesota
in late 19th Century.
to Minnesota
and settle in a dugout "on the banks of Plum Creek" as in the book's title. Pa trades his horses Pet and Patty to the property owner (a man named Hanson) for the land and crops, but later gets two new horses as Christmas presents for the family, which Laura and her sister Mary
name "Sam" and "David". Pa soon builds a new, above-ground, wooden house for the family.
During this story, Laura and Mary go to school for the first time where they meet their teacher, Miss Eva Beadle. They also meet Nellie Oleson
, who makes fun of Laura and Mary for being "country girls." Laura plays with her bulldog Jack when she is home, and she and Mary are invited to a party at the Olesons' home. Laura and Mary invite all the girls (including Nellie) to a party at their house to reciprocate. The family soon goes through hard times when a plague of Rocky Mountain Locust
s decimate their crops. The book ends with Laura's Pa returning safely to the house after being unaccounted for during a severe four-day blizzard
. Laura is portrayed in this book as being seven to nine years old.
and its name was Barry Corner School. Laura was only four when she started it which made her the youngest student. Unfortunately, neither in Pepin nor in Walnut Grove could the girls attend school on a regular basis.
Jack, the family bulldog, did not come with the Ingalls family to Plum Creek. However, her readers liked Jack so much that Laura decided to include him in this book, and also in the early chapters of By the Shores of Silver Lake
. Laura used Jack's death as the transition from Laura's childhood to her adolescence.
Another difference between the book and Laura's life was the birth of her brother, Charles Frederick Ingalls. However, the baby died in 1876 when Laura's father moved his family to her Uncle Peter's farm in South Troy, Minnesota
, and then on to Burr Oak, Iowa
. That was a painful time for the family, so Laura never included her baby brother in her books (see : Old Town in the Green Groves
).
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
. The fourth of nine books written in her Little House series, it is based on Laura's childhood at Plum Creek
Plum Creek (Redwood County, Minnesota)
Plum Creek of Redwood County, Minnesota, is a stream in Minnesota, near the city of Walnut Grove. It goes to the northwest from the town. It lends its name to a regional library network.-History:...
near Walnut Grove, Minnesota
Walnut Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 599 people, 291 households, and 178 families residing in the city. The population density was 577.7 people per square mile . There were 341 housing units at an average density of 328.9 per square mile...
in late 19th Century.
Plot
The Ingalls family moves from KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and settle in a dugout "on the banks of Plum Creek" as in the book's title. Pa trades his horses Pet and Patty to the property owner (a man named Hanson) for the land and crops, but later gets two new horses as Christmas presents for the family, which Laura and her sister Mary
Mary Ingalls
Mary Amelia Ingalls was born near the town of Pepin, Wisconsin. She was the first child of Caroline and Charles Ingalls...
name "Sam" and "David". Pa soon builds a new, above-ground, wooden house for the family.
During this story, Laura and Mary go to school for the first time where they meet their teacher, Miss Eva Beadle. They also meet Nellie Oleson
Nellie Oleson
Nellie Oleson is a fictional character that appeared in the children's books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her character was later adapted for the NBC television show, Little House on the Prairie. She also stars in the book Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls, by Heather Williams.Nellie was a...
, who makes fun of Laura and Mary for being "country girls." Laura plays with her bulldog Jack when she is home, and she and Mary are invited to a party at the Olesons' home. Laura and Mary invite all the girls (including Nellie) to a party at their house to reciprocate. The family soon goes through hard times when a plague of Rocky Mountain Locust
Rocky Mountain locust
The Rocky Mountain locust was the locust species that ranged through almost the entire western half of the United States until the end of the 19th century...
s decimate their crops. The book ends with Laura's Pa returning safely to the house after being unaccounted for during a severe four-day blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
. Laura is portrayed in this book as being seven to nine years old.
Walnut Grove
Although the Ingalls family lived near Walnut Grove, Minnesota during the events described in this book, the name of the town is not mentioned in the book.Historical background
In real life, the Ingalls family moved to Minnesota from Wisconsin. Laura and Mary already had attended school in Wisconsin. The school was in PepinPepin, Wisconsin
Pepin is a village in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 837 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Pepin.-History:...
and its name was Barry Corner School. Laura was only four when she started it which made her the youngest student. Unfortunately, neither in Pepin nor in Walnut Grove could the girls attend school on a regular basis.
Jack, the family bulldog, did not come with the Ingalls family to Plum Creek. However, her readers liked Jack so much that Laura decided to include him in this book, and also in the early chapters of By the Shores of Silver Lake
By the Shores of Silver Lake
By the Shores of Silver Lake, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was first published in 1939 and is the fifth of nine books written in her Little House on the Prairie series, also known as "The Laura Years." The book begins when Laura is twelve years old and the family moves to what will become De Smet,...
. Laura used Jack's death as the transition from Laura's childhood to her adolescence.
Another difference between the book and Laura's life was the birth of her brother, Charles Frederick Ingalls. However, the baby died in 1876 when Laura's father moved his family to her Uncle Peter's farm in South Troy, Minnesota
South Troy, Minnesota
South Troy is a small unincorporated community on U.S. Route 63 in Zumbro Township, Wabasha County, Minnesota, United States, west of the city of Hammond.-Notable people:...
, and then on to Burr Oak, Iowa
Burr Oak, Iowa
Burr Oak is a small unincorporated community in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States, very close to the Minnesota state line. Burr Oak is a census-designated place and the population was 166 in the 2010 census -History:...
. That was a painful time for the family, so Laura never included her baby brother in her books (see : Old Town in the Green Groves
Old Town in the Green Groves
Old Town in the Green Groves novel by Cynthia Rylant is a fictional midquel book based on some notes left by Laura Ingalls Wilder and a general knowledge about her life and the times....
).