Charles Ingalls
Charles Ingalls | |
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Cuba, New York, U.S. | |
Died | June 8, 1902 De Smet, South Dakota, U.S. | (aged 66)
Resting place | De Smet Cemetery, De Smet, Kingsbury County, South Dakota, U.S. |
Spouse | |
Children | |
Parents |
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Charles Phillip Ingalls (/ˈɪŋɡəlz/; January 10, 1836 – June 8, 1902) was an American pioneer, farmer, government official, musician, and carpenter who was the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House series of books. He is depicted as the character "Pa" in the books and the television series.
Early life and family
Charles Ingalls was born in Cuba, New York, the third of nine children of Lansford Whiting and Laura Louise (née Colby) Ingalls. Ingalls' parents appear as "Grandpa" and "Grandma" in the Laura Ingalls Wilder book Little House in the Big Woods.
Ingalls' father was born in Dunham, Missisquoi County,
Ingalls grew into an accomplished hunter-trapper, carpenter, and farmer. He had a love of music and reading, and played the violin.
On February 1, 1860, Ingalls married a neighbor, the quiet and proper Caroline Lake Quiner. Together, they had five children: Mary Amelia (1865–1928), Laura Elizabeth (1867–1957), Caroline Celestia (Carrie) (1870–1946), Charles Frederick (Freddie) (1875–1876) and Grace Pearl (1877–1941) [3]
He and his older brother did not serve in the Civil War.[4]
Family travels and settling
Wisconsin to points west
For his entire life, Ingalls had a strong case of "
De Smet, final home
After promising his wife, Caroline, that the family would finally settle in one place, it was in 1879 that Ingalls decided to stay in De Smet, Dakota Territory following their move from Minnesota. The first winter after arriving in De Smet, the family lived in what was known as the surveyor's house. Following the first winter, Ingalls decided to try farming in the area of Silver Lake, outside town. A few years later, he had "proved up" his claim and sold the farm, choosing to move back into De Smet and build a home on Third Street. Construction on the house began in 1887 and was completed in 1889. It was in this house that Ingalls, along with his wife and daughter Mary, lived out the rest of his days. In 1880, Ingalls opened a general goods store. The business closed in 1881. A respected citizen of De Smet, Ingalls held various elected positions in the town, including Justice of the Peace and deputy sheriff.
Ingalls helped found, build, and was an active member of the
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Surveyors' House, first home in Dakota Territory of the Charles Ingalls family
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"The House That Pa Built", located at 210 3rd Street SW in De Smet
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Former site of Ingalls Store, downtown De Smet
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Currently aChristian and Missionary Alliancechurch, the building was originally the First Congregational Church of De Smet
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Pa's gun hangs over the door of the De Smet house.
Death
Ingalls died on June 8, 1902, of cardiovascular disease, at the age of 66. A
In the media
Ingalls has been portrayed in the adaptations of Little House on the Prairie by:
- Michael Landon in the television series Little House on the Prairie and its movie sequels
- Matthew Laborteaux as a young Charles in the third-season episode "Journey in the Spring" and the fourth-season episode "I Remember, I Remember"of the television series
- Laura, The Prairie GirlJapanese cartoon series
- Richard Thomas in both Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder films
- Little House on the Prairie
- Steve Blanchard in the musical
References
- ^ "Eunice Sleeman". Edmund Rice (1638) Association. Eunice Sleeman was the mother of Eunice Blood (1782–1862), the wife of Nathan Colby (born 1778), who were the parents of Laura Louise Colby Ingalls (1810–1883), Charles's mother. Archived from the original on April 20, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ^ Turnquist, Jerry (October 5, 2008). "Little House on the Prairie – Kane County Prairie, that is". Daily Herald. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ Uthoff, Sarah S. "About The Ingalls Family – Little House on the Prairie". Little House on the Prairie. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^ "Amazon Book Review". Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Wilder, Laura (1971). These Happy Golden Years (Revised ed.). Harper & Row. p. 138.
- ^ Potter, Constance (Winter 2003). "De Smet, Dakota Territory, Little Town in the National Archives". National Archives Prologue Magazine. 35 (4 | Genealogy Notes) – via National Archives and Records Administration.
- ^ "Charles Philip Ingalls Obituary". Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie Definitive Guide. Retrieved February 7, 2013.