Welcome to the
Prairie House Manor …
A Victorian Bed and Breakfast located in
the Little Town on the Prairie
De Smet, South Dakota
Hometown of author Laura Ingalls Wilder
(Two Houses from the Ingalls Home)
Contact directly for details: (605)868-1303 or (605)868-1283
Amenities
Delicious Breakfast Served Each Morning
Beverage Counter
Private Bath in Each Guest Room
Wireless Internet
Flat screen HD TV
Meeting Space Available
Available for Special Events
Located 2 Houses Away from the Ingalls Home
History of Prairie House Manor
The home is listed on the National Historic Registry for the person, Colonel Thomas H. Ruth, that lived here.
Thomas Hudson Ruth, of Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, came to De Smet in 1880 when the town was just beginning. He founded the Kingsbury County Bank with his brother, William. Mr. Ruth was elected mayor of De Smet in 1889 and was the first commissioner of schools and public lands under the new state constitution. He was chosen captain of the Co. E Dakota National Guard, later filling the offices of major and colonel. In 1879, Banker Ruth married Laura Galbraith, who passed away in 1893. He then married Amelia Bell in 1895, and their son, Edwin James, was born in 1902. Thomas Ruth passed away in 1908 and is buried in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania in the family burial plot.
Mr. Ruth’s home was historically restored in 1989 by Larry and Connie Cheney of De Smet and opened as a bed and breakfast in 1990.
The tradition of welcoming guests from near and far to Banker Ruth’s grand home still remains, and the gracious hospitality that began the B&B in 1990 continues to be extended today.