In the summer of 2009, a group of Laura Ingalls Wilder fans and researchers convened in De Smet, South Dakota. We were concerned about Laura Ingalls Wilder scholarship and research. We knew it was happening, but we also knew the outlets for presenting such research were all but nonexistent. We also knew that people like us, committed to preserving the legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder all across this country, needed a true north.

Thus was born the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association.

This singular nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and encouragement of research surrounding Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, the Little House sites, and their legacies will act as the major sponsor for academic conferences and help support the work of the sites and of independent researchers.

We want to act as a clearinghouse, a gathering space for scholars and fans, academics and educators—all who have something to contribute or who are simply interested in learning more about these remarkable women and the heritage they’ve left behind.