Meet Laura Ingalls Wilder, LLC

All roads lead to the Almanzo Wilder Homestead for our Little House Cast Reunion Weekend July 25-26! Want to be GUARANTEED to meet Dean Butler (Almanzo) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson)? Purchase a VIP Almanzo's Circle ticket AND get priority seating at Alison's Friday performance, catered lunch and greeting with Dean and the cast, priority parking, catered lunch BOTH days, and a gala dinner with the cast. Buy your tickets here! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/almanzos-little-house-cast-reunion

**UPDATE**

Although I couldn't make it to the wake, which was held in the Center Meetinghouse at OSV on Monday, June 1st, and drew an enormous crowd, I was able to attend the funeral just down the road in Fiskdale the next day. The church was PACKED and my best estimate is about 250 people in attendance, including many retired one-time OSV employees as well as current OSV interns.

I was fortunate enough to spend a little time with two good friends of mine: a current and a former employee, both longtime veterans of OSV and both deeply affected by Tom's sudden death. Tom's brother gave a stirring eulogy that confirmed so many of the wonderful things others have said about Tom--his boundless energy and historical precision, his constant lifelong learning and teaching, his continuous generosity of spirit, his willingness to educate and inspire a love of history in everyone around him, and his staggering legacy.

The old trope of "not a dry eye in the place" played out in real time, as even the clergy conducting Mass were clearly fighting tears, dabbing their eyes, and occasionally choking up as they spoke. A remarkable experience to honor an extraordinary person.

May you rest in peace, Tom.

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This is horrible news. Tom was a fixture around OSV and a font of institutional history. Ever since I started my own living history business and began making (even more frequent) regular visits at the Village, he always made a point of regaling me with little-known stories of programs and events of the past, and details few others would know about the historic buildings around the campus. OSV and the living history community will never be the same without him.

On May 26, the Old Sturbridge Village community lost one of our own.
For more than 40 years, Tom Kelleher shared his extraordinary talent, humor, kindness, and dedication with everyone fortunate enough to know him. Since joining the Village in 1984, Tom devoted his life to helping bring history to life for generations of visitors through his scholarship, storytelling, craftsmanship, mentorship, and unforgettable performances.

Tom was a gifted historian, interpreter, curator, and educator whose impact on this Museum cannot be overstated. Whether reading the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July each year, bringing beloved historical stories to life, mentoring colleagues, volunteers, and others in the living history field, or keeping the Village’s historic mills running, Tom left an indelible mark on this place and all the people within it.

To many of us, Tom was far more than a coworker. He was a trusted friend, a mentor, and a deeply cherished member of the OSV family. His infectious laugh, care, and passion for history will be profoundly missed and forever remembered.
Our thoughts are with Tom’s family, loved ones, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Additional details regarding plans to honor Tom’s life and legacy will be shared at a later date.

Who's coming to Malone this July??

ADVANCE TICKETING IS OPEN! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/almanzos-little-house-cast-reunion

If you're planning to be anywhere near Pepin, Wisconsin (Laura's birthplace) this year, I highly recommend a visit to the Little House Wayside, which is a reproduction cabin made just as she described in Little House in the Big Woods, and located very close to the spot where the original once was. During the tourist season, on the second weekend of May, June, July, and August, the "Home at Laura's Place" event will feature the cabin fully furnished/decorated to reflect what it may have looked like when the Ingalls family lived on that farm. There will be special activities too!

Here comes another season of "Home at Laura's Place" at the Little House Wayside near Pepin where Laura Ingalls Wilder was born. the dates are:
May 9 & 10
June 13 & 14
July 11 & 12
August 8 & 9
Laura Ingalls Wilder Days will be Sept. 12 & 13 this year.

OSV is the #1 reason I became a historian and one of the key organizations that helped me launch not only my solo living history business but *also* my museum career! I owe some of the happiest and most productive moments of my life to it! If you have the means, I strongly encourage you to make a donation of any size toward this challenge grant at OSV to help unlock $2.5Million in funding. The money will go a long way to support ongoing history programming, special events, and the care & conservation of their extensive collections!

Did you hear the news? An anonymous donor recently made an extraordinary commitment to the Village by offering a $2.5 million challenge grant. To unlock the full impact of this generous gift, we must match these funds with philanthropic support from our community. Gifts of any size are deeply appreciated and will help us move closer to our goal. Donate today at https://10797.blackbaudhosting.com/10797/Annual-Fund-Spring

This fire danger alert is really frightening! Although they aren't marked on the map here, two of the towns closely associated with are currently at elevated risk of wildfires. Both are historic hometowns of Laura and her family, and each has a museum and multiple historic structures as well as an artifact and archive collection pertaining to the family. I've spent a considerable amount of time in each over the last 2 decades and have many friends, colleagues, and acquaintances in and around these towns, too.
Walnut Grove, Minnesota is at "High Risk," and DeSmet, South Dakota is at "Very High Risk." Both towns are situated along Highway 14, a federal route (secondary highway) that runs East-West, north of and parallel to I-90. Walnut Grove is southeast of Marshall, MN (yellow zone) and DeSmet is almost due west of Brookings, SD (orange zone).
Sending my love and prayers to everyone out there.

Elevated fire danger is on the table for Monday as humidity lowers and winds strengthen.

The area most likely to see elevated fire danger is west of I-29.

Light rain showers and cloudy skies may dampen the fire danger a bit.

If you're not already tuning in to the Land of Laura podcast, this is your cue to start! Created, Hosted, and Executive Produced by my good friend Sandra Hume and featuring many noted LIW experts, this "irreverent yet scholarly" podcast is something I look forward to every Thursday.

Exciting opportunity for emerging scholars of 19th & early 20th century history to get their work in front of a conference audience this May in New York City!
Don't delay: Proposals are due March 2, 2026.

Emerging Scholars | The Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America Emerging Scholars The Victorian Society’s New York chapter invites university students and recent graduates to submit proposals by March 2 for its 2026 “Emerging Scholars” in-person evening event on May 5, 2026. The nonprofit VSNY (vicsocny.org), founded in 1966, supports scholarship about ....