SUMMER,
I also loved the Little House On The Prairie which was set in an area north of Mankato, Minnesota.
At the risk of being called ancient I went to a one room school called district thirty-eight in Rock County,Minnesota. I attended the school from the second to fifth grade. So you don’t have to time travel all the way back to the 1800’s the 1930’s did the trick form
I really enjoyed your essay, Summer, keep up the excellent work.
papa