Laura Ingalls Wilder Re-Enactor Program 

Avid readers will automatically respond with the name, “Laura Ingalls Wilder”, if the title, “Little House on the Prairie” is mentioned. It’s instinctive. We grew up reading the Wilder stories. They are part of our literary heritage.

On Monday, December 10th, at 7:00 PM in the Library’s auditorium, Wilder aficionados will have the opportunity to experience “Christmas with Laura” sponsored by the Columbus Public Library and the Nebraska Humanities Council.

Laura will be portrayed by humanist scholar and re-enactor, Betty Jean Steinshouer. Born in Old Springfield, Missouri, Steinshouer recalls her school’s field trips to Mansfield to visit “Rocky Ridge”, the Wilders’ farm. “Even in third grade, I took notes….I felt a kinship with Laura because I too was growing up on a dirt farm with hard chores to do. My classmates had wall-to-wall carpeting and central heating, while I was chopping wood and hauling water from the well. I was ashamed of my family’s poverty until I read the “Little House” books and realized that they were about as poor as we were, and money didn’t matter as much as happiness.”

Wilder established herself with “Little House on the Prairie” and went on to write many other books related to her experiences at “Rocky Ridge”. She is particularly remembered for her many Christmas stories. Although the books were written for children from the 4th through the 8th grade, the books will be displayed in the Library’s 1st floor reading room for our adult patrons to check out. Those who haven’t read a Wilder book will want to check one out and read it before attending the “Christmas with Laura” humanities presentation.

“Little House on the Prairie” includes “Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus”, her first published Christmas story. Wilder recounts that, during her childhood, one winter had been particularly wet and windy. The creek that separated the homestead from the road to town was flooded. There wasn’t going to be a Christmas because there was no snow for Santa’s sleigh and he could not have crossed the creek with a horse and wagon. So Laura and her sister, Mary, went to bed that Christmas Eve with little hope for presents. Late that night, Mr. Edwards, a bachelor farmer from across the creek, knocked on the cabin’s door. He was wet and freezing. He had forded the river with his clothes and the family’s Christmas gifts on his head. After he was warmed by the cabin’s fire, he told the girls that he had met Santa and had been asked to deliver the gifts—a new tin cup, a peppermint candy stick, a small cake, and a shinny penny for each girl.

“Christmas with Laura” is a study of the holiday’s social and religious importance to Wilder. Steinshouer, the re-enactor, will portray Laura Ingalls Wilder and tell that story and other Wilder family Christmas adventures

The evening’s program is free and open to people of all ages. Although the program’s main focus is literary history, children, accompanied by an adult are welcome.