The trains would run for 75 years with the last one pulling into trenton, grundy county missouri in 1929. Touching stories of volunteers who oversaw the placement of the orphans as well as stories of the orphans themselves make this a rich record of american and midwestern historymore. Researchers have estimated that from 150,000 to 400,000 children were sent out on orphan trains, with perhaps as many as 100,000 being placed in missouri. Unfortunately, families waiting for the trains werent always dreams.
Discusses the use of orphan trains to place orphaned or abandoned children in home in nineteenthcentury missouri. Patrick, 9780826211217, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The book starts by explaining the reason for founding the childrens aid society in new york in the 1850s. Orphan trains to missouri by michael d patrick, evelyn. The brave journey of an orphan train rider, which chronicles the true life story of his paternal grandmother an orphan train rider sent to. The orphan trains operated between 1853 and 1929, relocating about 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children. Evelyn trickel discusses the use of orphan trains to place orphaned or abandoned children. For more information on the orphan trains, a book, orphan trains to missouri, by michael d. In 1853 a man by the name of charles loring brace, along with other welltodo men in new york city. The orphan trains operated between 1854 and 1929, relocating about 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, abused, or homeless children. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
Orphan trains to missouri missouri heritage readers. The civil war had drastically increased the homeless children population, so the orphan trains were expanded to missouri, kansas, iowa and michigan. Orphan trains to missouri gasconade county historical society. Missouris central location and numerous small farming towns along the railroad tracks made it the perfect hub for the orphan trains. Mar 21, 2018 the first reference i heard to orphan trains was when my dad and i were at the new hope baptist church cemetery located southeast of centralia, and he said, that guy buried there came on the orphan train.
After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train. The orphan trains finally stopped in 1930 for several reasons, including a decreased need for farm labor in the midwest and increased efforts by social service agencies to keep struggling families. Orphan train riders, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. Orphan trains to missouri documents the history of the children on those orphan trains their struggles, their successes, and their failures. Children placed out during the orphan train era 18531929 and their descendants have particular research problems. Touching stories of volunteers who oversaw the placement of the orphans as well as stories of the orphans themselves make this a rich record of american and midwestern history. Apr 02, 20 vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. The children didnt know where they were going, but their destination was likely to be better than where theyd been. Missouri woman shares story of mothers journey on orphan. Buy a cheap copy of orphan trains to missouri missouri. Orphan train pdf download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Patrick and evelyn goodrich trickel 1997, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Information about a book from the university of missouri press.
Missouri s location as a railroad crossroads made it the perfect destination for many trains. Patrick and evelyn goodrich trickel is available from the university of missouri press. In missouri, a law was passed in 1901 forbidding the orphan trains, purportedly because the childrens aid society is pouring carloads of children into the state without properly supervising them. As an orphan train crossed the country, it left part of its cargo at each stop, a few children in one small town and a few in another.
If youve read orphan train you already are aware of a lot of what is contained in this book. The last of the orphan trains came to missouri in 1929. In real life, orphan trains were intended to save children from the streets, but sometimes. During the orphan train movement from 1853 to 1929, an estimated 250,000 children were sent by train from large urban areas in the east to all 48 continental states. Information shows that orphans were brought to mishawakasouth bend by catholic charities such as the new york foundling asylum and new york home bureau for dependent children. Learn more about the orphan trains and their riders with one of the following books or let the library provide an orphan train program at your. The orphan train and the children who rode them new. In this episode of mobituaries, mo rocca shares rare interviews. Between 1854 and nearly a quarter of a million children from the east coast of the united states were resettled under what came to be known as the orphan train. Buy orphan trains to missouri by michael d patrick, evelyn goodrich trickel online at alibris. The society planned to give food, lodging, and clothing to homeless children and provide educational and trade opportunities for them.
This story about the orphan trains was updated in 2019. The first such orphan train went to dowagiak, michigan, in 1854. A reunion marks memories of the orphan trains the new york. The first reference i heard to orphan trains was when my dad and i were at the new hope baptist church cemetery located southeast of centralia, and he said, that guy buried there came on the orphan train. Orphan train research helps find foster children between 1853 and 1930 who rode trains from new york city, boston, or chicago to new homes in other states or canada. For 75 years, trains carrying orphans brought about 200,000 children from new york to the rest of the country, many of them to the midwest. Orphan trains to missouri university of missouri press in 1853 charles loring brace, along with other welltodo men in new york city, founded the childrens aid society. Vivian traveled from nyc to minnesota as a young girl on one of the infamous orphan trains that was used to get orphans out of the cities into the country where they might have a better opportunity to find families and to be able to make a good life. The orphan train comes to central missouri daniel boone. At the peak of the orphan train movement, 3,0004,000 children a year were traveling west. Orphans can keep in touch with each other through the orphan train heritage society based in fayetteville, ark. Social services for homeless children, 18301930 by peter c. The orphan trains ran from the mid 1850s until 1929. I am very glad i read this book, because after reading orphan.
The orphan train movement transported around needy, neglected, and orphaned children from new york to other regions of the united states and canada from 1854 to inspired by the roughly orphaned children calling the streets of new york home missouri woman shares story of mothers journey on orphan train missourinet. The orphan train children lined up to board the orphan train this train came through arkansas when my mother was young. The orphan train movement was a supervised welfare program that transported orphaned and homeless children from crowded eastern cities of the united states to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the midwest. Orphan trains to missouri documents the history of the children on those orphan trainstheir struggles, their successes, and their failures. Researchers estimate 150,000 to 400,000 orphans were sent west. Wisconsin orphan train rider biographies, research queries, and lists and dates of orphan trains stopping in wisconsin. However, dozens of organizations mostly in new york city, but also a few in boston, chicago, or minnesota contributed children to the orphan train movement which placed out children in 48 states. But little evidence is presented about the actual orphan train riders and the results of this social experiment.
May 06, 20 for 75 years, trains carrying orphans brought about 200,000 children from new york to the rest of the country, many of them to the midwest. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in book club books. A quarter million children rode the orphan trains from 1854 to 1929. This book documents the history of the children on those trains. Three charitable institutions, childrens village founded 1851 by 24 philanthropists, the childrens aid society established 1853 by charles loring brace and later, the new york foundling hospital, endeavored to help.
The system did its best for my brother and me, said howard. They rode the orphan trains grundy county, missouri. In 1970, only two of the five rifenburg orphan train children were still living. The genealogy of many of these 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children can often be traced back to the childrens aid society, or the new york foundling hospital, among others. As an orphan train crossed the country, it left part of. We hope to educate you a bit on this subject and help you further your research on any ancestors you may have that came to iowa on one of the infamous orphan trains. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the east coast to the farmlands of the midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose. As many as 100,000 of those children came to missouri. Kansas state historical society in the beginning of the orphan train movement, the trains that took children across country were little better than cattle cars and only had makeshift bathroom facilities. The paperback of the orphan trains to missouri by michael d. Click download or read online button to get orphan train pdf book now. Dad was head deacon of the church at that time, and he knew most of the people continue reading the orphan train comes to central missouri.
The orphan train and the children who rode them new england. In 1926, a fouryearold orphan named lorraine williams and other children were scrubbed, dressed in new clothes and put onto an orphan train leaving grand central station. From 1854 to the early 1930s, the american orphan trains transported 250,000 children from the streets and orphanages of the east coast into homes in the emerging west. Orphan trains to missouri documents the history of the children on those orphan trains. This book concentrates on the cas orphan trains, not only because the society placed considerably more children over a much longer period than any other agency, but because charles loring brace almost single handedly forged the philosophical foundations of the movement, and of many other efforts on behalf of poor children, and remains to this. Orphan train rider stories national orphan train complex. Orphan trains to missouri gasconade county historical.
A contact point for those interested in the orphan trains riders who were given out in indiana. Orphan train by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. This book was geared towards adult new readers and therefore a quick, easy read i finished it in just a few hours. Vivian is a wealthy 91yearold widow, settled in a victorian mansion on the maine seashore. Evelyn trickel discusses the use of orphan trains to place orphaned or abandoned children in homes in nineteenthcentury missouri. Orphan trains to missouri missouri heritage readers 9780826211217. It was believed that he traveled on an orphan train from new york to jamestown, north dakota with his four siblings when he was ten years old.
In the course of researching this family lore, i found that although orphan trains did, in fact, stop in jamestown, and orphans from these trains were adopted there, the robertson clan came from missouri. More than 200,000 homeless children were sent west on the trains. Starting in 1853, orphan trains carried an estimated 384 kids yearly to communities throughout the northeast. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. Missouris location as a railroad crossroads made it the perfect destination for many trains.
1161 1203 854 158 1376 257 528 652 554 1162 286 703 770 421 792 1509 281 273 952 1348 123 680 426 611 214 1042 1198 479 1071 657 1435 1115 978 1496