Rose Wilder Lane (1886-1968) is remembered as the only surviving child of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder, and as an accomplished writer and journalist in her own right. But tucked quietly among the records of her long and remarkable life is a heartbreaking chapter that is rarely mentioned.
On November 23, 1909, two days before Thanksgiving, Rose gave birth prematurely at approximately 6 months to her only child, a son who was stillborn. Rose was 12 days shy of her 23rd birthday when she lost her child.
More than a century later, I came across the child’s death certificate – a small official document that preserves the briefest trace of a life that never had a chance to begin.
Footnote: Searching for a photograph of the Colonial Hotel where Rose and Claire appeared to be living at the time of this event, Google provided the following feedback:
“No verified historical photograph of the exact Colonial Hotel at 144 West 1st South from 1909 is available in standard digitized public catalogs. Because it operated as a smaller downtown lodging house rather than a grand luxury landmark, standalone exterior photographs of this specific building are incredibly rare.“
Edited to Add: Doing a little more research on my own I discovered a photo actually does exists of the hotel, taken March 1909, about 8 months prior to the Lane’s arriving in Salt Lake City. This photo is archived here:
At the time Rose lost the baby in November 1909, Rose and her husband were driving from California to Missouri. As it was Thanksgiving weekend, it might have been there were ‘heading home’ for the holiday weekend. When they arrived in Salt Lake City, Rose required emergency surgery at Holy Cross Hospital. The baby boy is buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Salt Lake City without a marker and according to documentation, was officially unnamed.
Photo taken March 1909, name ‘Colonial’ is on the top right hand side of the building.
Tiny Acorns & Mighty Oaks 
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