Does Laura Ingalls look like she’s seen some things in this photo? It’s because by that age, she HAD seen some things!

In the annotated Laura Ingalls Wilder biography Pioneer Girl, there is a dark story involving the short time the family lived in Burr Oak, Iowa (Laura would have been age 9-11 during this time). You won’t be able to read about any of the Burr Oak stories in any of the Little House books. For a short time, the Ingalls family lived in Burr Oak, Iowa where they managed a hotel. During their short stay in this town, Laura and her family witnessed domestic abuse, public fighting, constant drunkenness and…much more. Once, a drunken hotel guest made his way into Laura’s  bedroom in the middle of the night with clear intent to molest her. The family wound up dodging their debts in the middle of the night and leaving Burr Oak suddenly.

Maybe this is why the Ingalls’ short time in Burr Oak isn’t chronicled in the Little House series of books…