on the way home

I recently spent six days at the home of one of George (from the "Little House" book, On the Way Home) Cooley's sons, Frank (named after his grandfather), going through photographs, books, and papers belonging to both Paul and George and to their parents, Emma and Frank Cooley. And much to my delight, I was given the entire lot to bring home to study further! The boxes almost filled my back seat and I drove very, very carefully...

So here I sit, surrounded by a box of George's sermons and music (he became a Methodist minister who often composed music to be used in church), Paul's briefcase full of treasures (some from Mansfield school days...), letters and notes and postcards, boxes of papers, and boxes and boxes of both identified and mystery photographs that date from Emma and Frank's early years in New York - to family life in De Smet - to George plowing in Mansfield - to both George's and Paul's children and grandchildren.

I'll be sharing tidbits over the next week as I organize everything for an Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder / Coooley project I'm working on. Stay tuned.
- posted by pioneergirl at 4:30 PM