The 100 Mile Walk: A Journey Measured in Miles, Hardship & Determination

The Ingalls family faces one of its toughest challenges yet when a devastating hailstorm destroys their wheat crop, leaving Charles with no choice but to leave Walnut Grove in search of work. What follows is a grueling 100-mile journey that takes him far from home and into the dangerous world of rock quarrying.

In this episode of Back to the Prairie: For the First Time, Jen and Dirk explore why “100 Mile Walk” feels so different from the earlier episodes—from its darker tone and frontier adventure story to the very real dangers of 19th-century travel and quarry work. We’ll also dig into the history behind the story, including how the episode draws inspiration from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s On the Banks of Plum Creek.