Half-sister of Caroline Quiner Ingalls. Aunt to Laura Ingalls Wilder.
She is Aunt Lotty in Little House in the Big Woods.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Frederick Marshall Holbrook (Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls Stepfather)
Frederick was an early settler of the town of Concord, Wisconsin, coming from Connecticut in the year 1848. He lived in Concord until 1867 and then went to the town of Sullivan and settled on a farm adjoining the village until his death. He was an active member of the Methodist Faith.
Frederick was also the stepfather of Caroline Lake Quiner, Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother. In essence, he was Laura's Grandfather.∼He was the second husband of Charlotte Quiner and the father of Charlotte Holbrook
Charlotte Tucker Quiner Holbrook (Laura Ingalls Wilder's Grandmother)
Henry and Charlotte Quiner
Henry Newton Quiner, born in 1807, married Charlotte Tucker, born May 25, 1809, on April 2, 1831. They had seven children: Martha (died in childhood), Joseph, Henry, Martha, Caroline, Eliza, and Thomas. Henry and Charlotte were Laura's maternal grandparents.
Henry was a farmer, but also traded with the nearby Wisconsin Indians. In the fall of 1844, he sailed off on Lake Michigan on a trading trip. A storm arose and sunk the schooner, and Charlotte Quiner was left a widow.
BIOGRAPHY: In 1849, Charlotte remarried to a farmer named Frederick Holbrook. The couple's only child, Charlotte, was Aunt Lotty of the Big Woods. When asked by Mary and Laura which color of hair she preferred, Aunt Lotty replied wisely that she liked both kinds best. Lotty later married Henry Moore and had 6 children.
BIOGRAPHY: Charlotte died in 1884 in Rome, Jefferson Co Wisconsin, just before her granddaughter Laura married Almanzo Wilder many miles away. It is unlikely Laura ever saw her grandparents again after leaving the Big Woods at age 7.
∼
She was the daughter of Martha Tucker and the grandmother of Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
July 2026 Birthdays/Anniversaries
Ingalls Wilder Families
Baby A. J. Wilder July 11, 1889-August 10, 1889
TV Show Cast
Sherrie Stoner (Rachel Brown-Oleson) July 16, 1959
Patrick Labyorteaux (Andrew "Andy" Garvey) July 22, 1965
Karl Swenson (Lars Hanson) July 23, 1908-October 8, 1978)
Lucy Lee Flippin (Eliza Jane Wilder) July 23, 1943
Wedding Anniversaries
Maxwell & Eliza Jane (Wilder-Thayer) Gordon July 1, 1904
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
3 Generations of Ingalls Women: Caroline Quiner-Ingalls, Laura Ingalls-Wilder, Rose Wilder-Lane
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**Discussion Points to Engage the Group:**
* **Historical Context:** How much of the Ingalls family history do you find is most accurately portrayed in the books versus the show?
* **Emotional Resilience:** Which Ingalls family member do you believe possessed the most internal strength when facing loss?
* **Legacy Preservation:** What is the most important lesson the Ingalls family teaches us about overcoming tragedy?
* **Fan Perspectives:** Does knowing the real-life history of the family change how you view the characters during their more difficult moments on screen?.
Sunday, July 5, 2026
June 2026 Birthdays
Ingalls-Wilder Family
Perley Day Wilder (July 13, 1869-May 10, 1934)
Laura Ann (Wilder) Howard (June 15, 1844-1899)
TV Show Cast
David Friedman (Jason Carter) June 10, 1973
Bonnie Bartlett (Grace Snider-Edwards) June 20, 1929
Richard Bull (Nels Oleson) June 26, 1924-February 3, 2014
Sunday, May 31, 2026
May 2026 Birthdays
Ingalls-Wilder Family
Grace Pearl (Ingalls) Dow - May 23, 1877-November 10, 1941
Television Cast
Melissa Gilbert - Laura Ingalls Wilder - May 8, 1964
Dean Butler - Almanzo James Wilder - May 20, 1956
Hersha Parady - Alice Garvey/Eliza Ingalls - May 25, 1945-August 23, 2023
Lindsay & Sidney Greenbush - Carrie Ingalls - May 25, 1970
Monday, May 4, 2026
April 2026 Birthdays
Ingalls-Wilder Family
David N. Swanzey (Carrie's Husband) April 18, 1854-April 9, 1938)
Nathan W. Dow (Grace's Husband) April 25, 1859-May 13, 1943)
Cast
Robert William "Dabbs" Greer (Rev. Robert Alden) April 2, 1917-April 28, 2007
Kevin Hagen (Dr. Hiram Baker) April 3, 1928-July 9, 2005
Shannen Doherty (Jenny Wilder) April 12, 1971-July 13, 2024
Jonathan Gilbert (Willie Oleson) April 28, 1967
Monday, March 9, 2026
March 2026 Birthdays/Wedding Anniversaries
Ingalls-Wilder
Angelina Albina Day Wilder (March 6, 1819- c. 1905)
Cast
Jennifer & Michelle Steffin (Rose Wilder) March 23, 1981
Brian Part (Carl Sanderson Edwards) March 24, 1962
Pamela Roylance (Sarah Carter) March 27, 1952
Eddie Quillan (Various Roles) March 31, 1907-July 19, 1990
Wedding Anniversaries
Royal & Electra (Averill Hutchinson) Wilder March 16, 1893
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
February 2026 Birthdays/Wedding Anniversaries
Ingalls-Wilder Family
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867-February 10, 1957)
Almanzo James Wilder (February 13 1857-October 23, 1949)
Royal Gould Wilder (February 20, 1847-April 21, 1925)
Cast
Karen Grassle (Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls) February 25, 1942
Charlotte Stewart (Eva Beadle Simms) February 27, 1941
Wedding Anniversaries
Charles & Caroline Ingalls (February 1, 1860)
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
January 2026 Birthdays
Ingalls-Wilder Family
Charles Philip Ingalls (January 10, 1836-June 8, 1902)
Mary Amelia Ingalls (January 10, 1865-October 20, 1928)
James Mason Wilder (January 26, 1813-1899
Eliza Jane Wilder Gordon Thayer (January 1850-June 1, 1930)
Cast
Lindsay Kennedy (Jeb Carter) January 4, 1969
Stan Ivar (John Carter) January 11, 1943
Kyle Richards (Alicia Sanderson Edwards/Samantha) January 11, 1969
Katherine MacGregor (Harriet Oleson) January 12, 1925-November 13, 2018)
Jason Bateman (James Cooper) January 14, 1969
Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson Dalton) January 18, 1962
Patricia Neal (Julia Sanderson) January 20, 1926-August 18, 2010)
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
December 2025 Birthdays/Wedding Anniversaries
Ingalls-Wilder Family
Rose Wilder Lane (December 5, 1886--De Smet, SD-October 30, 1968--Danbury, CT)
Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls (December 12, 1839--Brookfield, WI-April 20, 1924--De Smet, SD)
Cast
Victor French (Isaiah Edwards) December 4, 1934--Santa Barbara, CA-June 15, 1989--Los Angeles, CA
Matthew Labyorteaux (Albert Ingalls) December 8, 1966--Los Angeles, CA
Missy Frances (Cassandra Cooper) December 12, 1972--Los Angeles, CA
Cliff Emmich (John Bevins) December 13, 1936--Cincinnati, OH-November 28, 2022--Los Angeles, CA
Wedding Anniversaries
Lamanzo & Laura Ann (Wilder) Howard (December 31, 1874)
Perley Day & Elsie (Merritt) Wilder (December 27, 1897)
Sunday, November 9, 2025
November 2025 Birthdays/Wedding Anniversaries
Ingalls-Wilder Family
Charles Frederick "Freddie" Ingalls (November 1, 1875--Walnut Grove, MN-August 27, 1876--South Troy, MN)
Cast
Alison Balson (Nancy Oleson) November 19, 1969--Los Angeles, CA
James Karen (Nathan Lassiter) November 28, 1923--Wilkes Barr, PA-October 23, 2018--Los Angeles, CA)
Monday, October 13, 2025
October 2025 Birthdays
Cast
Moses Gunn (Joe Kagan) October 2, 1929--St. Louis, MO-December 16, 1993--Guilford, CT
Steve Tracy (Percival Dalton/Isaac Cohen) October 3, 1952--Canton, OH-November 27, 1986--Tampa, FL
Robert Casper (Sherwood Montague) October 7, 1924--Milwaukee, WI)
Linwood Boomer (Adam Kendall) October 9, 1955--Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Leslie Landon (Etta Plum/various roles) October 11, 1962--Los Angeles, CA
Michael Landon (Charles Ingalls) October 31, 1936---Forest Hills, NY-July 1, 1991--Malibu, CA
Wedding Anniversaries
Nathan & Grace (Ingalls) Dow October 16, 1901
Sunday, October 12, 2025
LHOTP: "I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away" Parts 1-2
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"I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away" is the moment where Mary Ingalls (Melissa Sue Anderson) goes blind.
Between the show and Mary's actual life, Mary had wanted to be a teacher.
Real-life Mary never did become a teacher, and lived with her parents until their deaths, then with her two younger sisters, Carrie Ingalls-Swanzey and Grace Ingalls-Dow, until her death.
But in the show, Mary went off to Vinton, Iowa in real life (but the show had Mary go off to Burton, Iowa to learn how to function after losing her sight, where she met Adam Kendall (Linwood Boomer), who was her teacher, and later, husband, when Adam invited Mary to teach at the blind school in the fictional town of Winoka, Dakota Territory (based on the Ingalls' final move to De Smet, South Dakota).
While watching the episode, I wonder if the show was trying to show that, despite Mary's blindness, she could fulfill her dream of wanting to be a teacher.
In the show, Mary went on to teach at the Winoka School for the Blind alongside Adam Kendall, who would (at least in the TV show) become Mary's spouse, later moving the school back to Walnut Grove until a fire destroyed the blind school, which would eventually move the blind school to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Little House September 2025 Birthdays
Ingalls-Wilder Family
Alice Maria Wilder (September 3, 1853--Franklin, NY-February 1892)
Cast
Radames Pera (John Sanderson-Edwards, Jr.) September 14, 1960--New York, NY
Merlin Olsen (Jonathan Garvey) September 15, 1940--Logan, UT-March 11, 2010-City of Hope, Duarte, CA)
Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls Kendall) September 26, 1962--Berkeley, CA
Wedding Anniversaries
Thomas & Eliza Jane (Wilder) Thayer (September 6, 1893)
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Burr Oak, IA
Burr Oak is an 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 171 in the 2020 census.
History
A post office opened in 1853. Burr Oak was platted in 1855.
The village is one of the homes of Laura Ingalls Wilder,
author of the Little House on the Prairie books. Grace Ingalls, the youngest of
the Ingalls children, was born there in 1877. There is a Laura Ingalls Wilder
Museum in the local Masters Hotel.
Hamlin Garland, noted American novelist, poet, essayist,
short story writer, Georgist, and psychical researcher, lived on a farm in
Hesper Township, near Burr Oak, during the 1870s.
Demographics
Historical population
2010 166 —
2020 171 3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 171 people, 77
households, and 54 families residing in the community. The population density
was 247.9 inhabitants per square mile (95.7/km2). There were 82 housing units
at an average density of 118.9 per square mile (45.9/km2). The racial makeup of
the community was 95.3% White, 0.0% Black or African American, 1.2% Native
American, 0.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 1.8%
from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 2.3%
of the population.
Of the 77 households, 26.0% of which had children under the
age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 2.6%
were cohabitating couples, 16.9% had a female householder with no spouse or
partner present, and 23.4% had a male householder with no spouse or partner
present. 29.9% of all households were non-families. 28.6% of all households
were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65
years old or older.
The median age in the community was 44.3 years. 27.5% of the
residents were under the age of 20; 4.7% were between the ages of 20 and 24;
19.9% were from 25 and 44; 30.4% were from 45 and 64; and 17.5% were 65 years
of age or older. The gender makeup of the community was 59.1% male and 40.9%
female.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 166 people, 70
households, and 43 families residing in the town. The population density was
240.6 inhabitants per square mile (92.9/km2). There were 80 housing units at an
average density of 115.9 per square mile (44.7/km2). The racial makeup of the
town was 97.0% White, 0.6% Asian, and 2.4% from other races. Hispanics or Latinos
of any race were 2.4% of the population.
There were 70 households, out of which 31.4% had children
under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living
together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were
non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4%
had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average
household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under
the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64,
and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.2 years. The
gender makeup of the city was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.
Education
The community is within the Decorah Community School
District. The schools are in Decorah, and Decorah High School is the zoned high
school of the district.
Previously, Burr Oak was within the North Winneshiek
Community School District. The school building was 3 miles (4.8 km) from Burr
Oak. North Winneshiek CSD operated all grade levels until 2001, when it ended
its high school program. According to district agreements, students in the
district could attend Decorah High or the high school program of Mabel-Canton
Public Schools in Mabel, Minnesota. Effective July 1, 2018, the North
Winneshiek district consolidated into the Decorah district. North Winneshiek
School closed its doors at that time.
In 2018, the combined interim board of Decorah CSD and North
Winneshiek CSD approved an agreement with Mabel-Canton schools, effective for
five years, to allow students in the former North Winneshiek district boundary
to attend Mabel-Canton if they choose. The agreement applies to any post-merger
Decorah CSD resident who is geographically closer to Mabel than to Decorah.
Pepin, WI
Pepin (/ˈpɛpɪn/ PEP-in) is a village in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 731 at the 2020 census. The village is surrounded by the borders of the Town of Pepin.
History
By the mid-17th century, the French had begun to send
expeditions into Wisconsin via the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River. King
Louis XIII of France is believed to have granted a huge area of land in the
Upper Mississippi River Valley to two brothers, Etiene Pepin de la Fond and
Guillaume dit Tranchemontagne. Two of Guillaume’s sons, Pierre Pepin and Jean
Pepin du Cardonnets, later explored and traded in this area, and their surname
became attached to the lake, and ultimately to the village and the county.
Geography
Pepin is located at 44°26′33″N 92°8′52″W (44.442724,
-92.147884).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village
has a total area of 0.70 square miles (1.81 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
Historical population
1890 369 —
1900 407 10.3%
1910 397 −2.5%
1920 555 39.8%
1930 603 8.6%
1940 754 25.0%
1950 840 11.4%
1960 825 −1.8%
1970 747 −9.5%
1980 890 19.1%
1990 873 −1.9%
2000 878 0.6%
2010 837 −4.7%
2020 731 −12.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 837 people, 399
households, and 226 families living in the village. The population density was
1,195.7 inhabitants per square mile (461.7/km2). There were 490 housing units
at an average density of 700.0 per square mile (270.3/km2). The racial makeup
of the village was 98.9% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American,
0.4% Asian, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race
were 0.2% of the population.
There were 399 households, of which 18.5% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together,
6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.5% had a male
householder with no wife present, and 43.4% were non-families. 38.3% of all
households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98, and the
average family size was 2.58.
The median age in the village was 53.9 years. 14.6% of
residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24;
19.4% were from 25 to 44; 33.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28% were 65 years of
age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 878 people, 381
households, and 241 families living in the village. The population density was
1,238.1 people per square mile (477.5/km2). There were 430 housing units at an
average density of 606.4 per square mile (233.8/km2). The racial makeup of the
village was 98.29% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.34% Native
American, 0.57% Asian, and 0.68% from two or more races.
There were 381 households, out of which 22.3% had children
under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living
together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were
non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9%
had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average
household size was 2.17, and the average family size was 2.74.
The median income for a household in the village was
$36,319, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median
income of $31,393 versus $22,875 for females. The per capita income for the
village was $17,755. About 2.0% of families and 5.8% of the population were
below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those
age 65 or over.
Notable people
Nathaniel O. Murray, steamboat owner and Wisconsin state
legislator, lived in Pepin.
The author Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in the Pepin area,
near Lund, Wisconsin, where her family lived. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum
is in the village. The Little House Wayside, a rest stop on the land where
Wilder was born, is located seven miles northwest of the village, in the town
of Pepin. A replica of the house her father built, in which she was born,
stands on the site and is open to visitors except during the snows of Winter.
Mansfield, MO
Mansfield is a city in Wright County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,296 at the 2010 census.
History
Mansfield was platted in 1882 by F. M. Mansfield and named
for him. A post office called Mansfield has been in operation since 1882.
Geography
Mansfield is located in the Ozarks on the southern edge of
the Salem Plateau. The community is served by US Route 60 and Missouri Route 5.
The town sits on the drainage divide between the White River tributaries to the
south and the Missouri River tributaries to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a
total area of 1.90 square miles (4.92 km2), of which 1.88 square miles (4.87
km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.
Demographics
Historical
population
1900 494 —
1910 477 −3.4%
1920 757 58.7%
1930 861 13.7%
1940 922 7.1%
1950 963 4.4%
1960 949 −1.5%
1970 1,056 11.3%
1980 1,423 34.8%
1990 1,429 0.4%
2000 1,349 −5.6%
2010 1,296 −3.9%
2020 1,193 −7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,296 people, 568
households, and 322 families living in the city. The population density was
689.4 inhabitants per square mile (266.2/km2). There were 646 housing units at
an average density of 343.6 per square mile (132.7/km2). The racial makeup of
the city was 97.6% White, 0.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.5%
Asian, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were
0.9% of the population.
There were 568 households, of which 30.5% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together,
13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male
householder with no wife present, and 43.3% were non-families. 38.9% of all
households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28, and the
average family size was 3.07.
The median age in the city was 38.1 years. 27.2% of
residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24;
22.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of
age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,349 people, 564
households, and 354 families living in the city. The population density was
859.0 inhabitants per square mile (331.7/km2). There were 632 housing units at
an average density of 402.4 per square mile (155.4/km2). The racial makeup of
the city was 97.3% White, 0.2% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.3%
Asian, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were
0.6% of the population.
There were 564 households, out of which 34.9% had children
under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living
together in Mansfield, Mo 12.1% had a female householder with no husband
present 37.1% were classified as "non-families" (a U.S. census
term for one individual living alone, or a group of individuals who are not all
related by blood, marriage, or adoption). 34.9% of all households were made up
of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 3.07.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,875,
and the median income for a family was $27,734. Males had a median income of
$27,143 versus $15,216 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$11,303. About 20.9% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 29.8% of those under age 18 and 33.6% of those age 65
or over.
Education
Public education in Mansfield is administered by the Mansfield
R-IV School District.
In 1973, voters accepted a bond to have a new elementary
school built.
Mansfield has a public library, the Laura Ingalls Wilder
Public Library.
Notable people
In 1894, Laura Ingalls Wilder, along with her husband,
Almanzo, and their daughter Rose, moved from South Dakota to Mansfield. They
remained in the area for the next 60 years and established Rocky Ridge Farm, a
large, successful poultry, dairy, and fruit farm on the outskirts of town.
Today, their unique 10-room farmhouse is a National Historic Landmark and the
home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum, which attracts thousands of
visitors to Mansfield each year. The Wilders also lived for a time in the Rock
House built for them by their daughter Rose.
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As a young man, future actor Ken Osmond, of Leave It to
Beaver, was a neighbor of the Wilders.
De Smet, SD
De Smet is a city in and the county seat of Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,056 at the 2020 census.
History
Located in the area of South Dakota known as "East
River" (east of the Missouri River, which diagonally divides the
state), De Smet was platted by European Americans in 1880. It was named for
Belgian Father Pierre De Smet, a 19th-century Jesuit missionary who worked with
Native Americans in the United States and its territories for most of his life.
In the mid-1880s, prairie fires and failures of crops after three years of
drought caused many settlers to relocate their farms and homesteads to easier
areas. By 1917, De Smet was a cow town, with many trains passing through every
day carrying cattle to market.
Currently a Christian and Missionary Alliance church, the
building was originally the First Congregational Church of De Smet; one of the
church's builders was Charles Ingalls.
The Charles Ingalls family, originally of Wisconsin, arrived
in De Smet in 1879. Their travels and pioneer life in Minnesota, Kansas, Dakota
Territory, and Iowa would be later chronicled in the Little House series of
books written by the Ingallses' second-oldest daughter, Laura Elizabeth - later
known as Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura Ingalls and her husband, Almanzo Wilder,
would first settle in De Smet along with Wilder's brother, Royal. They were
later joined by their older sister, Eliza Jane, who took up a claim of her own.
She was one of the first women to file a solo claim. There the Wilders lived
just outside of De Smet on farmland, as well as Royal's feed store in town. The
Ingallses also had a claim outside of town. In the winter, they stayed in the
town of De Smet, at least while the girls were still in school. After building
a home and starting a farm there, Charles Ingalls helped to found the First
Congregational Church of De Smet, later helping to build the church building, with
the first service being held there on August 30, 1882. Ingalls and his wife,
along with his oldest daughter Mary, were among the church's eight original
charter members.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a
total area of 1.16 square miles (3.00 km2), all land.
Demographics
Historical
population
1880 116 —
1890 541 366.4%
1900 749 38.4%
1910 1,063 41.9%
1920 1,035 −2.6%
1930 1,017 −1.7%
1940 1,016 −0.1%
1950 1,180 16.1%
1960 1,324 12.2%
1970 1,336 0.9%
1980 1,237 −7.4%
1990 1,172 −5.3%
2000 1,164 −0.7%
2010 1,089 −6.4%
2020 1,056 −3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
2018 Estimate
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 1,089 people, 478 households,
and 290 families living in the city. The population density was 938.8
inhabitants per square mile (362.5/km2). There were 552 housing units at an
average density of 475.9 units per square mile (183.7 units/km2). The racial
makeup of the city was 98.8% White, 0.1% African American, 0.6% Native
American, 0.1% Asian, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of
any race were 0.5%.
Of the 478 households, 24.3% had children under the age of
18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a
female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no
wife present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.6% of households were one person,
and 22.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.17,
and the average family size was 2.83.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 1,164 people, 524 households,
and 300 families living in the city. The population density was 1,102.2
inhabitants per square mile (425.6/km2). There were 582 housing units at an
average density of 551.1 units per square mile (212.8 units/km2). The racial
makeup of the city was 98.37% White, 0.95% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.09%
from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any
race were 0.69%.
Of the 524 households, 24.8% had children under the age of
18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 3.2% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 39.3%
of households were one person, and 24.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The
average household size was 2.09, and the average family size was 2.80.
The age distribution was 20.8% under the age of 18, 6.0%
from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 31.3% 65 or older.
The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For
every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median household income was $27,760, and the median
family income was $41,989. Males had a median income of $24,722 versus $20,417
for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,372. About 7.3% of
families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including
7.1% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
De Smet stands at the intersection of the east–west U.S.
Route 14 (5th Street) and South Dakota Highway 25 (Poinsett Avenue), which runs
north–south.
The municipally owned Wilder Field airport is situated some
3 miles (5 km) north of the town.
The Rapid City, Pierre, and Eastern Railroad's freight-only
line between Tracy, Minnesota, and Rapid City passes through the town.
"The House That Pa Built", located at 210
3rd Street SW in De Smet
Notable people
De Smet is the town where the family of author Laura Ingalls
Wilder finally settled, and is the birthplace of Ingalls Wilder's daughter,
author and activist Rose Wilder Lane. Ingalls Wilder's father, Charles Ingalls,
moved to De Smet in 1879 with his wife, Caroline, and their children Mary,
Laura, Carrie, and Grace. There, after first living in the Surveyor House and a
couple of other locations in De Smet, Ingalls built their permanent home that
became known via Wilder's writings as "The House That Pa Built".
Construction on the house began in 1887 and was completed in
1889. After settling in De Smet, Charles Ingalls owned and operated the Ingalls
Store from 1880 to 1881, a small general-type store that sold various goods for
the home. While the store building no longer exists, the location is noted in
De Smet's downtown area with a marker on what's currently on the site, a former
bank building that now houses Gass Law Firm.
De Smet was also the childhood home of supercentenarian
Walter Breuning. Artist-illustrator Harvey Dunn was born in 1884, approximately
eight miles from De Smet near Manchester, and painted scenes of frontier life
in his later years. Harry George Armstrong, a major general in the United
States Air Force, a physician, and an airman, was born in De Smet in 1899.
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