De Smet, South Dakota: Talking to Executive Director Mary Jo Wertz

With fully half of the books taking place there, De Smet, Dakota Territory — South Dakota today — is the pinnacle of Little House homesites. By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, and These Happy Golden Years are all grounded in the tiny town of De Smet.

From the Surveyors' House to the house Pa built on Third Street to a robust collection of Ingalls and Wilder artifacts, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society is responsible for overseeing and preserving the bulk of what visitors get to see in De Smet.

This week's Land of Laura welcomes Mary Jo Wertz, Executive Director of De Smet's Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society. Learn how she came into the position, what it's like to head up the Society as a former pharmacist, and what visitors can expect in 2026 and beyond — including a few unexpected surprises. (Really!)

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