Laura is an energetic, impulsive six-year-old girl who loves the wide-open spaces of the prairie. She struggles to conform to nineteenth-century expectations of feminine propriety, often preferring physical activity over sitting still. She actively observes the terrain, the local wildlife, and the passing Native American travelers. She depends heavily on her parents for a sense of physical security in the isolated Kansas territory.

Pa is an optimistic and hardworking pioneer who utilizes his skills as a woodsman and farmer to sustain his family. He values self-reliance, preferring the isolation of the frontier to populated settlements. As the head of the household, he makes the major decisions about where the family lives and takes charge of outdoor tasks like building the cabin, digging a well, and hunting. He frequently plays his fiddle in the evenings to entertain his daughters.

Ma is a dedicated homemaker who works to maintain domestic order on the isolated prairie. She handles the indoor labor, including cooking meals over the hearth, cleaning, and carefully placing her decorative china shepherdess on the mantel. She misses the social network of her relatives in Wisconsin but acquiesces to her husband's desire to move west. She strives to instill traditional feminine values in her daughters.

Mary is a cautious, reserved seven-year-old girl who naturally embodies the docile traits expected of young women during the era. She prefers staying clean and safe over exploring the rugged frontier environment. Her obedience and good behavior frequently earn her mother's praise, setting a standard that her younger sister struggles to meet.

Carrie is the youngest daughter of the Ingalls family. As a baby, she requires constant supervision from her mother and older sisters. She requires constant care and represents the physical vulnerability of the family on the harsh prairie.

Mr. Edwards is a rugged bachelor settler living near the Ingalls family. He possesses an independent streak but gladly engages in neighborly cooperation, helping to build the Ingalls' cabin walls. He enjoys the family's company, appreciating the rare homemade meals and fiddle music they share with him.

Mr. Scott is a boisterous neighbor living on the Kansas prairie. He frequently assists with heavy labor around the settlement, demonstrating the pioneer value of cooperation by helping dig a well. He tends to be overconfident, sometimes dismissing safety precautions, and harbors prejudices against the local Native American population.

Mrs. Scott is a neighboring settler who demonstrates immense practical generosity when illness strikes the community. She steps in to care for the Ingalls family when they become completely incapacitated by fever. Despite her neighborly kindness toward fellow white settlers, she holds harsh hostilities toward Native Americans based on past frontier conflicts.

Jack is the loyal family dog who travels with the Ingalls from Wisconsin. He takes his duties as a guard dog extremely seriously, patrolling the homestead to ward off wolves and stray cattle. He serves as a vital psychological comfort to the children in the unfamiliar wilderness.

Dr. Tan is a Black physician who treats the Native American residents in the territory. He happens to pass by the Ingalls' cabin when they are stricken with malaria and stops to administer life-saving medical care. He brings immediate relief to the struggling household.

Soldat Du Chêne is a prominent figure in the Osage tribe whose path runs near the Ingalls' cabin. He maintains a commanding presence as he travels through his ancestral territory. He possesses significant influence among the gathered native tribes in the region.

Pet is a strong mustang horse who helps transport the Ingalls family across the difficult terrain from the Midwest to Kansas. She provides the necessary physical labor to move the wagon and later gives birth to a foal in the stable on the prairie.

Patty is a gentle but sturdy mustang horse used by the Ingalls family for travel and farm work. She carries Pa on scouting trips across the open plains and proves her reliability during dangerous encounters with prairie wildlife.

Bunny is a young male foal born on the Kansas homestead. The children name him for his long, upright ears. He represents the growing agricultural wealth of the family's settlement.