Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie‘ follows the Ingalls family as they venture into the unknown when they pack up and leave their home in Wisconsin. Over the course of eight episodes, we witness their struggles, especially as they try to establish a life in the newly founded town of Independence, Kansas. They are confronted by one challenge after another, but despite the hardships, they never lose hope. It makes one wonder how someone could have survived such ordeals back in the 1800s, but it turns out that most of what we see the Ingalls go through, especially the parents, Charles and Caroline, is quite close to reality. SPOILER AHEAD.
Charles and Caroline are a Fictionalized Version of the Real Ingalls
‘Little House on the Prairie’ is based on the third novel in the children’s book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They are based on her own childhood memories but are semi-autobiographical, as the author tweaked many details to make the book more reader-friendly. Still, the characters’ basic trajectory closely reflects what happened in real life. The real Charles Ingalls was born in Cuba, New York, in 1836, the second of Lansford and Laura Ingalls’ nine children. They set down their roots in Elgin, Illinois, and eventually bought a piece of land in Wisconsin. Charles learned to farm, hunt, and practice carpentry at a young age. He also harbored a love for reading and music and is known to have played the fiddle.
Caroline was born in Brookfield, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in 1839, the fifth of Henry and Charlotte Quiner’s seven children. Her father died in a ship capsizing incident when she was five years old. Eventually, her mother married a man named Frederick Holbrook, with whom Caroline had such a close relationship that she named her son after him. Caroline learned the basic skills of sewing and cooking at a young age, but her real interest was in teaching. She was sixteen when she started teaching at a local school, though she had to give it up after marriage. Still, she valued education and refined character and raised her children in the same way. She and Charles got married in 1860 in Concord, Wisconsin, and have five children: Mary, Laura, Caroline (Carrie), Charles (Freddie), and Grace.
Charles Ingalls’ Poor Financial Choices Hit the Family Hard
While Laura Ingalls Wilder presents her parents’ story on a lighter note, they went through incredibly turbulent times in their quest to find a place to call home and settle down permanently. Charles Ingalls is believed to have made questionable financial decisions, which are cited as the reasons his family had to be constantly on the move. When the family was living a somewhat stable life in Wisconsin, Charles reportedly sold the farmland for a good price, with which he bought a piece of land in Missouri, which he later gave up due to nonpayment. Around that time, the family had set up camp on Osage land in Wisconsin, which is where the events of the first season take place.
Despite running low on money, he is said to have made some expensive choices, such as installing glass windows in the house (which is also mentioned in the books and the Netflix series). Later, after the deal between the Osage and the government was signed, he had to pay to acquire permanent title to the land. But instead of going through with that, he had the family pack up and move on to the next place. Then, the Ingalls moved to Minnesota, where Charles reportedly bought 172 acres of land at double the price. Allegedly, he was warned that the area would suffer a swarm of locusts, but he ignored the warnings. When the insects arrived, they destroyed the Ingalls’ crops, throwing them into yet another financial bind.
Charles and Caroline Found a Home in De Smet
Eventually, the Ingalls family patriarch decided to try something other than farming. He tried to run a tavern while his family was in Burr Oak, Iowa, but that didn’t turn out so well either. In between this, while the family was on the move, 9-month-old baby Charles, aka Freddie, passed away from a sickness. The family spent some time in Minnesota, then they were on the road again, this time heading to the Dakota Territory. Charles found some railroad work there. They eventually settled in De Smet, South Dakota, in 1879. They became an important part of the community. Charles was one of the co-founders of the First Congregational Church in town, which he also helped construct. The first service was held at the Ingalls’ house.
Charles Ingalls died of heart trouble due to cardiovascular disease on June 8, 1902, at the age of 66, in De Smet, South Dakota. He is remembered as an esteemed and upright citizen of the town and a family man who was always friendly and kind to others. Following his death, Caroline and Mary continued to live in the house they’d built all those years ago. They rented a room to provide for themselves and lived a relatively quiet life. Caroline passed away on April 20, 1924, at the age of 84. While no specific cause of her death has been given, it is noted that she had been suffering from a prolonged illness for a while. She and Charles are laid to rest at the De Smet Cemetery. Their children, Mary, Carrie, Grace, and the infant son of their daughter, Laura, are also laid to rest alongside them.
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