The little house in the big woods of Wisconsin was where Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867.  It was 6 miles to the nearest town, Pepin, which happened to be on the shores of Lake Pepin, a wide, long lake through which the Mississippi River flows.  This is Lake Pepin from the town of Pepin, Wisconsin.

This is the "main" street of Pepin.  The lake is over the railroad tracks on the left, and the rest of the town is perched on a low hill to the right.  This is the town Laura and her family visited when Laura ripped her dress trying to collect all the beautiful stones on the shore of the lake!

I stood with my back to the lake to take this picture of some of the stores in the town of Pepin.  It looks like it hasn't grown much since Laura was there, but it really has.  There is a second street of shops, and a number of streets with homes lining them.

If you drive about 6 miles north of town, you will come to the place where Laura Ingalls Wilder was born.  This is only a copy (replica) of the house in which she was born, but it is as accurate as is possible, since the original was used to store grain, then became a chicken coop, and then was left to fall into ruins.  The actual site is on private land just about 1/4 mile from this little house.

You can't miss this well-constructed little house of logs along the road.  The rooms inside are empty, but you are welcome to go inside.  There is an attic, well described by Laura in her first book, and two rooms on the main floor. 

The people of Pepin are very proud of the fact that Laura and her family came from their little town.  They keep the cabin in wonderful condition, and the surrounding park has beautifully cut grass.  Not far from this little house is a picnic area under the umbrella of huge maple and oak trees.  It's a wonderful picnic spot.