in which uncle tom follows the leader

Laura Ingalls Wilder never mentioned her family's stop in Missouri on the way to Indian Territory, either in her Pioneer Girl memoir or other manuscripts, Little House on the Prairie, or existing correspondence. Because there is no definitive proof that Charles Ingalls and family lived in Chariton County, Missouri, prior to moving on to Indian Territory, people always ask whether they actually lived there or not or not. For the record, I think they did.

It's fairly common knowledge - after all, it was in Zochert's book a billionteen years ago - that Charles Ingalls and his brother-in-law, Henry Quiner, each purchased 80 acres in Chariton County from Adamantine Johnson. Johnson's house is still standing not far from the historical marker on the former Ingallses' land, and it is currently being restored. Print your own brochure with directions and information about the marker HERE.

Both Pa and Uncle Henry were still in Pepin in mid-October 1868, because they signed legal documents in town on the 15th. Charles Ingalls was in Chariton County in August 1869, because he signed a power-of-attorney there. Charles Ingalls was in Montgomery County, Kansas, in February 1870. That leaves a lot of room for speculation as to when travel took place between Wisconsin, Missouri, and Kansas. Did they just pass through Missouri and check out the land, or did they spend up to a year or more there?

Most researchers believe that Henry and Charles both went to Chariton County, and that Henry returned to Wisconsin when Charles went to Kansas. Henry's Pepin property was deeded back to him in late November 1868.

What most people don't realize is that Tom Quiner (Henry's and Ma's brother) also purchased land in Chariton County from Adamantine Johnson. Bachelor Tom bought 160 acres in October 1868; the location of each parcel is shown on the map above.

Tom Quiner didn't sell his Chariton County land until November 1882!
- posted by pioneergirl at 12:34 AM