February 13: Birthday of Almanzo Wilder
Prayer Idea
Pray for farmers as they deal with weather, pests, and economic ups and downs to supply our food.
History Note
Almanzo Wilder was born near Malone, New York, on February 13. It was probably 1857, though there is some uncertainty about his birth year.
Almanzo’s parents were James and Angeline Wilder, who had married in 1843. Almanzo had older siblings Laura Ann, Royal, Eliza Jane, and Alice; and a much younger brother, Perley Day.
Alice and Almanzo Wilder (c. 1865)
The Wilders moved to Spring Valley, Minnesota, in the 1870s. In 1879, Almanzo, Royal, and Eliza Jane Wilder each filed homestead claims around the new town of De Smet, Dakota Territory. There Almanzo met Laura Ingalls. They married in 1885.
Almanzo and Laura eventually settled in Mansfield, Missouri, with their daughter, Rose. They operated a farm called Rocky Ridge. Laura told her life story in the Little House books, including the second volume about her husband’s childhood as a Farmer Boy.
Almanzo Wilder working with horses at Rocky Ridge farm.
Learn More
You can visit Almanzo Wilder’s childhood home in New York. Join Ray and Charlene Notgrass on this tour.
Find more resources about the Wilder family and agriculture at Homeschool History.
