Laura Ingalls

In 1885, Laura Ingalls Wilder, the beloved author of the *Little House* series, was 18 years old and living a life filled with challenges and transitions that would later inspire her famous books. Born in 1867 in the American Midwest, Laura had already experienced a variety of moves and hardships by the time she reached her late teens.

By 1885, Laura had lived in various locations with her family, including the prairie areas of Wisconsin, Kansas, and Minnesota, where her father, Charles Ingalls, sought opportunities to provide for the family. Her family's lifestyle was shaped by the difficult conditions of frontier life, and these experiences would become central themes in her *Little House* series.

At 18, Laura was living in De Smet, South Dakota, where her family had settled. It was here that many of the events of *The Little House on the Prairie* books took place. In 1885, the Ingalls family was adjusting to life in De Smet, and Laura was likely becoming more involved in adult responsibilities, including teaching and helping her family with household duties.

While Laura had not yet started her writing career in 1885, her experiences during these years would form the foundation for the books she would later write. Her memories of life on the frontier, the joys and struggles of pioneering, and her close-knit family relationships would resonate in her stories, which have since become some of the most beloved children's books in American literature.

In summary, 1885 was a formative year for Laura Ingalls Wilder, a time when she was living the life that would later inspire her famous works. It was a period marked by the resilience, optimism, and determination that would define her characters and stories for generations to come.