Early Roots in Rural New York
I often picture Alice M. Wilder as a steadfast oak in the Wilder family grove, her branches intertwined with the hardy spirits of 19th-century America. Born on September 3, 1853, in Franklin County, New York, near the town of Burke, she entered a world of rolling farms and crisp northern winters. Her parents, James Mason Wilder and Angeline Albina Day, built a life on fertile land, raising six children amid the rhythms of planting and harvest. Alice, the fourth child, grew up in a household buzzing with activity, where education mingled with chores like threads in a homespun quilt.
The Wilder farm in Malone became legendary through Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Farmer Boy, a tale that captures young Almanzo’s adventures but also hints at Alice’s role. She attended the local township school and later Franklin Academy in Malone, gaining knowledge that set her apart in an era when many girls’ horizons stopped at the kitchen door. By the early 1870s, economic winds shifted, prompting the family to pack their belongings and head west to Fillmore County, Minnesota. Alice, then in her late teens, took on housekeeping duties in Malone before joining the migration. This move, covering over 800 miles, tested their resolve like a river carving through stone.
Sibling Bonds: The Wilder Brothers and Sisters
I get more interested in Alice when I learn about her siblings, each a unique family bloom petal. Laura Ann Wilder, the oldest, married Harrison Lomanzo Howard on June 15, 1844, and lived independently until 1899. She had offspring, including Kearny Howard, expanding the Wilder lineage.
Royal Gould Wilder, born February 20, 1847, followed. Merchant and farmer, he married Electa Hutchinson and had offspring, proving family stories’ authenticity. He died in 1925, leaving steadfast support. Eliza Jane Wilder, born January 1, 1850, was a notable teacher and homesteader. Stiff yet adventurous, she married Thomas Thayer and Wilder Gordon, raising Walcott. Her independent life ended in 1930.
Alice was closest to Almanzo James Wilder, born February 13, 1857. In 1885, he married Laura Ingalls and had Rose Wilder Lane. His experiences inspired Farmer Boy, depicting Alice as a kind sister. He lived until 1949, seeing the family’s story go national. The youngest, Perley Day Wilder, born June 13, 1869, married Ella Thompson, had children, and died in 1934.
These siblings were close, sharing struggles and joys. Alice, the middle person, often bridged the gaps with her unobtrusive presence.
Marriage and Motherhood: Building Her Own Hearth
In 1878, Alice’s life took a tender turn. On September 29, at age 25, she married Albert Asa Baldwin in Spring Valley, Minnesota. Albert, born in April 1848 to Lucius and Emeline Baldwin, brought an academic flair from his family’s Stanford University connections. They settled in Marshall, Minnesota, welcoming daughter Myrtle in 1880. Myrtle later married John R. Brown and lived until 1945, carrying forward the family spark.
Their son, Leland Edward Baldwin, arrived in 1884 but tragically died young at 29 in 1913. Health woes shadowed the Baldwins; Albert’s ailments led them south to Eau Gallie, Florida, by 1890. This relocation, spanning nearly 1,500 miles, sought warmer climes like a bird migrating for survival. Alice managed the household with grace, her days filled with child-rearing and domestic arts, though whispers in family lore suggest she may have taught school briefly before marriage.
A Timeline of Trials and Triumphs
To grasp Alice’s journey, I compiled this extended timeline, a roadmap through her 38 years:
| Year | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1853 | Birth | September 3, near Burke, New York, to James and Angeline Wilder. Fourth of six children. |
| 1844-1869 | Siblings’ Arrivals | Laura Ann (1844), Royal (1847), Eliza Jane (1850), Almanzo (1857), Perley (1869) join the family. |
| 1860s | Education | Attends township school and Franklin Academy in Malone. |
| Early 1870s | Westward Move | Family relocates to Fillmore County, Minnesota; Alice works as housekeeper. |
| 1878 | Marriage | Weds Albert Asa Baldwin on September 29 in Spring Valley. |
| 1880 | First Child | Daughter Myrtle born in Marshall, Minnesota. |
| 1884 | Second Child | Son Leland Edward born. |
| 1885 | Minnesota Life | Recorded in census, building family amid frontier challenges. |
| Late 1880s | Southern Shift | Moves to Georgiana, Florida, for Albert’s health. |
| 1892 | Passing | Dies February 22 at age 38; buried in Crooked Mile Cemetery, Florida. |
| Post-1892 | Family Legacy | Albert raises children until 1905; descendants preserve Wilder ties. |
This table reveals a life of constant motion, each entry a stepping stone across time’s river.
Professional Paths and Personal Pursuits
Alice’s career remained rooted in the home, a common thread for women of her time. Before marriage, she kept house and possibly taught, her education a quiet asset. After wedding Albert, she poured energy into motherhood, her achievements measured in the lives she shaped rather than public accolades. Financially, the family mirrored modest farming roots—no grand fortunes, just steady sustenance from land and labor.
Her legacy whispers through Farmer Boy, where she’s a supportive sister, helping with farm tasks and family bonds. In Florida’s humid embrace, she adapted, her resilience like clay molded by circumstance. Though brief, her influence rippled outward, touching siblings and descendants.
Enduring Family Dynamics
Diving deeper, I see the Wilder parents as pillars. James Mason Wilder, born in 1813 in Vermont, mastered farming until his 1899 death. Angeline Albina Day, born 1821, orchestrated a vibrant home, surviving until 1905. Their Presbyterian faith and missionary kin—James’s brother Royal Gould Wilder served in India—infused naming traditions and values.
Alice’s marriage to Albert blended worlds: his academic lineage with her rural grit. Their children, Myrtle and Leland, faced early losses but extended the line. Myrtle’s marriage to John R. Brown ensured continuity, while Leland’s untimely end at 29 added sorrow’s shadow. Relationships appeared harmonious, free of recorded rifts, a testament to frontier solidarity.
Health challenges loomed large, possibly tuberculosis driving the Florida move. Alice’s early death at 38 left Albert widowed, raising two young ones until his 1905 passing. Yet, the Wilder spirit endured, like embers glowing through generations.
FAQ
Who was Alice M. Wilder’s closest sibling?
Almanzo James Wilder shared the deepest bond with Alice. Born four years after her, he recalled her in farm tales, their childhood adventures forming unbreakable ties. She supported him through chores and migrations, her presence a constant in his early years.
What prompted the Wilder family’s move to Minnesota?
Economic opportunities and better farmland drew them west in the early 1870s. Leaving New York’s Malone area, they sought prosperity in Fillmore County, covering vast distances to replant roots in Minnesota’s prairies.
How did Alice M. Wilder’s life differ from her sister Eliza Jane’s?
While Eliza Jane pursued teaching and homesteading with bold independence, Alice embraced domesticity after a brief possible stint in education. Eliza’s adventures spanned marriages and moves, contrasting Alice’s quieter focus on marriage and motherhood.
What is known about Alice M. Wilder’s children?
Myrtle Baldwin, born 1880, married John R. Brown and lived to 65 in 1945, extending the family. Leland Edward Baldwin, born 1884, died young at 29 in 1913, leaving limited traces but a poignant mark on the lineage.
Why did the Baldwins relocate to Florida?
Albert’s health issues, likely respiratory, necessitated the warmer climate. By 1890, they settled in Eau Gallie, hoping southern air would heal, though Alice’s own passing there in 1892 underscored life’s fragility.
How is Alice M. Wilder remembered today?
Through Little House series connections, she appears in blogs and genealogy discussions. Her grave in Florida’s Crooked Mile Cemetery and family trees keep her story alive, a subtle thread in the Wilder tapestry.
