Conversation so far:
What is important about the south dakota years?
Baum was born in Chittenango, New York in 1856 into a devout Methodist family.
Who were his parents?
Cynthia Ann (nee Stanton) and Benjamin Ward Baum.
Did he have siblings?
and was the seventh of nine children.
Where did he go to school?
From the age of 12, he spent two miserable years at Peekskill Military Academy but.
where did he go after that?
after being severely disciplined for daydreaming, he had a possibly psychogenic heart attack and was allowed to return home.
What else did he do during this time?
Baum started writing early in life, possibly prompted by his father buying him a cheap printing press.

Question: What did he write during this time?
Self-contained rewrite: What did Baum write during early years?