After
a journey through the blowing snow to Malone, New York, over the
weekend, I found myself ready to address a group of 45 people about
treks to sites made famous by children's literature. This would be
the second time I gave my "Pilgrimage" presentation, the first having
been in an academic setting in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
What
struck me this time was what a great match the audience was for the
presentation, even outside of a university setting. I'd been invited to
the Malone Lodge of Elks to address board members, volunteers and other
people who had a strong interest in the Wilder Homestead, a regional
gem of literary heritage. The Homestead is where Almanzo Wilder grew up
in the 1860s, with his family who created a prosperous farm in Malone.
Almanzo not only married Laura Ingalls Wilder, who penned the "Little
House" series of books, but his childhood also inspired the second book
in the series, Farmer Boy (1933). The audience at the Elks was
primed to hear stories from someone who enjoys visiting children's
literary sites in Europe and in the Northeastern United States, because
they are all interested in the success and growth of the Wilder farm as a
tourist destination.
Even though my
prepared presentation had previously concluded with the Wilder farm, as
an example of a literary site one can visit in the eastern United
States, it was a pleasure for me to sprinkle in more facts about the
lives of the Wilders, the Ingalls family, and the Wilder Homestead
throughout the lecture. When I am praising the authenticity of some
German sites, versus others that are mere tourist traps, it was easy for
me to add applause for the authenticity of the Wilder house, as it sits
on its original foundation and is the actual house where Almanzo grew
up and where many adventures in the book happen.
It
was a joy to hear laughter from the audience members as I related my
quirky adventures of getting into private apartments once inhabited by
famous authors, and making a Yorkshire hotel lobby so aware of its
literary heritage that the architects credited my persistence when
completely changing its decor to honor an author's work. After the
presentation, it was great to hear personal stories for audience members
who spoke to me about travels they'd made to similar sites, such as the
Prince Edward Island house associated with Anne of Green Gables, and the many homes of authors in Concord, Massachusetts.
Ken
Carre, president of the Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder Association,
had invited me to the annual meeting of the association. He reminded
the group how in 2015, the Wilder Homestead was dedicated a Literary
Landmark. The
site stands with pride as the first Literary Landmark in northern New
York and the sixteenth in
New York State. It is the only “Little House” site to receive this
recognition from United for Libraries. My thanks go to Ken and Karen
Carre, and to everyone who listened and laughed with me at the Elks
Lodge.
Photos courtesy of Rick Auger.
