The entrepreneurial spirit is one piece of the legacy of Little House and the pioneers that has endured. Our country was
founded by men and women who struck
out;and;created;a;path;for;others;to;fol-low.;I’d;like;to;introduce;you;to;two;of
the;entrepreneurs;that;Almanzo;Wilder
remembered from his childhood days
growing;up;on;the;family;farm;in;New
York—the;tin;peddler;and;the;cobbler.
When;Nick;Brown,;the;tin;peddler,;ar-rived with his white horse and bright red
cart, every member of the Wilder family
rushed;out;to;greet;him.;Before;joining
the;Wilders;for;supper,;Mr.;Brown;cared
for the needs of his horse, an action that
brought him much esteem in the eyes of
young Almanzo.
After supper, Mr. Brown began his
customary;routine—
spinning;tales,;sing-ing songs, and sharing news from far and
near. He could tell more stories and sing
more songs than anyone Almanzo or his
father had ever seen.
The;next;day,;Mr.;Brown;opened;the
doors of his bright red cart and invited
Almanzo’s mother to take a look. Ac-
cording to Farmer Boy:
Inside that cart was everything ever
made of tin. On shelves along the
walls;were;nests;of;bright;tin;pails,
and pans, and basins, cake-pans,
pie-pans,;bread-pans;and;dishpans.
Overhead;dangled;cups;and;dippers,
skimmers and strainers, steamers,
colanders, and graters. There were
tin horns, tin whistles, toy tin dishes
and;patty-pans,;there;were;all;kinds
of little animals made of tin and
brightly;painted. 1
Every;item;had;been;carefully;crafted
with quality materials and skillfully sol-
dered;to;endure;almost;daily;use.;After;a
long;round;of;bartering;with;Almanzo’s
savvy mother, a deal was reached and
a trade was made. Before he left, Mr.
Brown;pulled;a;few;more;special;items
from;the;cart;and;presented;them;to;Al-
manzo;and;his;two;sisters;as;gifts.
With;the;reins;in;his;hands,;Mr.;Brown
drove away, whistling a tune as he went.
That;day,;he;left;them;with;more;than;new
dishes;and;pans;in;their;cupboards.;He
left;them;with;laughter;and;stories,;songs
and;pleasant;memories,;and;the;warmth
of;a;friend’s;company;in;their;hearts.
The second entrepreneur who stood
out;in;Almanzo’s;memory;was;a;cobbler
whose name Laura Ingalls Wilder did
not record in her books. She tells of the
time;when;a;delay;in;the;cobbler’s;arrival
caused;not;only;concern;but;hardship;as
well.;With;the;energy;and;passion;with
which;some;of;us;approach;shoe;shop-ping;today,;it;may;seem;hard;to;imagine
a time;when;you;purchased new;shoes
only;once;a;year,;no;matter;when;the;pair
you;were;wearing;wore;out.;Royal’s;feet
had;grown,;but;last;year’s;boots;had;not.
Royal had cut a slit in them, the entire way
around,;so;that;they;would;fit.;Almanzo’s
moccasins were worn out, and there was
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
Little House
Legacy
Bonnie Rose Hudson
Pioneer;Businesses;and
Entrepreneurs
I’d;like;to;introduce;you;to;two;of;the;entrepreneurs;that;Almanzo;Wilder
remembered from his childhood . . . .
