This is the second book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, but instead of her family, this book details a year in the childhood of her future husband, Almanzo Wilder. He grew up in upstate New York, near the town of Malone. This is very close to the border with Canada, and not too far west of Vermont. Almanzo’s father had a large and apparently prosperous farm, and the book details all of the work required to run a farm that size. Not only are Almanzo and his siblings kept busy, but there are a couple of laborers who help out as needed. Schooling takes a back seat to all of the requirements of farming, especially when the weather is involved in setting the timing. However, unlike Laura in the early “Prairie” books, Almanzo and his siblings are close enough to a school to be able to attend classes on occasion.
This book is also great for children to read, and a quick read for adults. Very little is said about the political environment, but there is quite a bit about food, clothing, and how the family made the items they needed, and acquired a few they could not make themselves. Reading as an adult, I found it amusing that Almanzo always seems to be eating, or thinking about eating. I don’t know if this was a subtle dig at her husband, or a literary device to describe more of the types of food they ate, and how they produced them. Almanzo’s family differs from Laura’s family in that the Wilder’s sold much of the things they produced, whereas Pa Ingalls only sold some of the results of his hunting forays.
Farmer Boy is set in the 1860’s in upstate New York. If your ancestors had a farm in New York state, and possibly Vermont or New Hampshire, during the late 1800’s, this could describe what their lives could have been like. This book should be easily available, in book and ebook form. Again, I would recommend the editions with the Garth Williams illustrations. To my knowledge, none of this book was covered in the “Little House on the Prairie” TV series. The Wilder Homestead is on the list of National History Registry, and is a Literary Landmark. The farm buildings have been restored, and tours are available. The website is www.almanzowilderfarm.com.
If this was your family, how would you research them? Almanzo went to the state fair, and won a prize. These mostly agricultural fairs were ubiquitous all over the country at one time, and still occur today. Did your ancestors enter livestock or other products of their labor in a fair? Any family stories about it? You might check local newspapers from that time frame to see if they listed the competitors and Blue Ribbon winners. Land records would be useful for a family that stayed in the same place for a number of years, as would tax records. You might check a local historical society to see if any records for the schools of that era survive.