Cindy is a compelling, articulate presenter and very comfortable in answering wide-ranging questions from her listeners. Whether your group’s interest is in severe weather events, pioneer history, the Laura Ingalls Wilder saga, late 19th century frontier journalism or the role of railroads in settling the west, you will learn much from her presentations

Cindy's keynote address was wonderful! She captivated everyone both with her amazing wealth of information and her energetic delivery. It was terrific. I wasn't expecting to be so fascinated the whole time. Seriously, great job!

Cindy Wilson's outstanding research, map-making skills, and aerial photography make her presentation of the railroad's activities during the Hard Winter of 1880–1881 a must see.

Cindy Wilson’s presentation and book was highly praised by all who attended -- our members are still talking about it! If you have any interest in pioneer history, The Little House series, or well-researched history, I would recommend Cindy Wilson, her presentation, and The Beautiful Snow.

Cindy Wilson’s presentation was one of the most informative and enjoyable that I’ve experience in my years as a Laura Ingalls Wilder scholar. In her book, “The Long Winter,” Laura Ingalls Wilder mentions the “cut west of Tracy” as the reason the town of DeSmet was deprived of much-needed supplies during the winter of 1880-81. Wilson’s presentation, “The Big Cut West of Tracy” at the recent conference of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, explained just what the cut west of Tracy actually was, and its importance. Through the use of scholarly research, time-period photographs, and drone footage, Wilson took listeners on a fascinating tour of the history of the railroad and the Tracy cut as it appears today. We learned about the labor-intensive process of removing snow from the tracks, and just why the railroad was forced to cease operations during the hard winter. I am excited for the forthcoming publication of Cindy Wilson’s book “The Beautiful Snow.”

Cindy Wilson gives such an interesting historical presentation on the hard winter of 1880-81. She really brings to life the writing of Laura Ingalls Wilder's, "The Long Winter." It is certainly clear in her presentation that she has completed extensive research to form such an accurate and detailed picture of what the winter was really like across portions of Minnesota and the Dakota Territory. Her book will make a great addition to any collection of works by or about Laura Ingalls Wilder.

What a fascinating exploration! I was completely engaged in Cindy Wilson’s historical research. To take a favorite childhood book, The Long Winter, and to make it come alive again to me as an adult in such a thoughtful and relevant manner. Her research elevates the original material and stands on its own as well. I can’t wait to read "The Beautiful Snow."

I have read the "Little House" books numerous times, including "The Long Winter." It was so interesting to hear that there was historical proof of the punishing winter that Laura's family endured in 1880-1881. I was especially interested in hearing that the snow blockages in the "cuts" were as close to us as Sleepy Eye. The pictures and the newspaper clippings that she included in the presentation were amazing. I'm going to read "The Long Winter" again now that I have facts about that time in history. I think that December in Minnesota would be a good time to do that.

We were so happy to have the privilege to listen to Cindy Wilson's presentation at the LIWLRA conference about the Tracy Cut. Cindy gave a very detailed explanation regarding the snow blocking the trains. We felt that we were experiencing that snowfall for real while listening to her presentation. We live on the East coast where we don't get that kind of snowfall and were amazed that so much snow could fall in one storm, and could end up packed with dirt. It inspired us to visit The Wheels on the Prairie Museum and then go searching for the Tracy Cut. She described the Tracy Cut so accurately that we could see how the train was blocked from running. We are looking forward to reading her book, “The Beautiful Snow.”

I really enjoyed the presentation. I was especially impressed with the amount of research that went into the presentation and the sources of that information. I lived in that area for a while and I learned a lot about the railroad and the area that I had not known. It opened a whole new world of information for me and I am inspired to go back to the Wilder books and re-read them. Very good presentation.

I was looking forward to Cindy’s presentation with great expectations. She did not let me down. The information was new and interesting. The research and photos were unbelievable. Would gladly go hear her speak again and can’t wait for the book to come out.

The presentation is first class, and the book is well researched as well!

Just wanted to say how enjoyable Cindy Wilson's presentation was....on many levels! Ms. Wilson's use of story, photos, maps, and detailed research really brought the prairie and its settlers to life. It combined so many elements that I really enjoyed learning about. I always loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books as a child, and so enjoyed revisiting her world as part of the presentation. I also quite enjoyed the discussion about the climate and geography of the area and how this impacted the engineering of the train lines. I was interested to learn about the settlers in the area and how the train-lines affected their lives and livelihood; how the towns spread out down along the tracks, but close enough for people to stay connected via horse travel. I loved looking at the old photos and what they said about the inhabitants and their environment - how the snow became trapped in the gullies made from the cuts of the tracks; how this trapped snow became so impacted that even the full force of a train engine could not break through, and how all the while the surrounding plains remained mainly snow free, cleared by the gusting winds over the flat land.

I had not planned [to attend the Box Lunch Lecture] as part of my day. I had stopped in to see if my daughter wanted to go for lunch, and she asked if I wanted to stay and listen. I am so glad I did! Cindy did an amazing job and it was so INTERESTING!😍

I enjoyed the presentation! The information was interesting.

Cindy Wilson, author of The Beautiful Snow, presented her book with interesting pictures and text. Attendees have talked about how interesting it was to hear about the 1880’s and Laura Ingalls Wilder days. We are so glad she came to Grand Living.

I recommend her for speaking engagements, because I could have listened to her all night. Her research has given her insights, and allows you to escape with her into the past when it was truly hard.

The program The Big Cut West of Tracy was very engaging, educational, and informative. The images shared completed the scene. The participants were engaged!