Hi,
Recently I made a query about where or if there was a site on line about
orphans. I would like to thank everyone who wrote with information on this
subject. I ran across the information on the bottom of this page and thought
it might be helpful to somebody.
From 1854 to 1929 the government ran what was known as "orphan
Trains" they sent homeless children mostly from the New York area on trains
to the West. The trains had pre determine stops where the local people would
come out and "look" them over. Those that weren't chosen went on to the next
stop, those that were chosen stayed where some found a much better life with
people that loved them while others found a life close to slavery.
This is an incredible and amazing part of US history that I have never
heard of before. I hope this helps somebody,
Ed Cooper
Nonfiction Books
Fry, Annette R. The Orphan Trains. New York: New Discovery Books, 1994. (This
was our main print source for information. It's very well-written and has
many photographs.)
Holt Marilyn Irvin. The Orphan Trains: Placing Out in America. Lincoln, NE:
University
of Nebraska Press, 1992.
Marks, Frances E., and Patricia J. Young. Tears on Paper: The History and
Life Stories of
the Orphan Train Riders. 1990. Currently out of print. LCCN: 90-61695. (This
source
includes photo/information about Clara Comstock, an agent for the Children's
Aid Society
who accompanied many orphans to Iowa over the years.)
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Fiction Books
Holland, Isabelle. Journey Home. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1990.
Nixon, Joan Lowery:
A Family Apart. New York: Bantam, 1988.
Caught in the Act. New York: Bantam, 1989.
In the Face of Danger. New York: Bantam, 1989.
A Place to Belong. New York: Bantam, 1990.
Dangerous Promise. New York: Delacorte, 1994.
Keeping Secrets. New York: Delacorte, 1995.
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Magazine Articles
Fry, Annette Riley. "The Children's Migration." American Heritage, December
1974, pages 4-10.
Hendrix, George. "The Orphan Trains." Midwest Living, December 1988, pages
30-34.
Jackson, Donald Dale. "It Took Trains to put Street Kids on the Right Track
Out of the Slums."
Smithsonian, August 1986, pages 95-103.
McOllough, Verlene. "The Orphan Train Comes to Clarion." The Palimpsest, Fall
1988,
pages 144-150.
Wheeler, Leslie. "The Orphan Trains." American History Illustrated, December
1983,
pages 10-23.
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Videos
Doing Local History with Video. Gunderson, Helen D., and Lindemeyer, Robert
B. Iowa State University Media Resources Center, 1994.
The Orphan Trains. By Janet Graham and the Ed Gray Film Co., New York City
(shown on
PBS as part of the American Experience series). For this documentary film
contact:
PBS Video
1320 Braddock Place
Alexandria, VA 22314
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Organizations
Orphan Train Heritage Society of America (OTHSA)
614 East Emma Ave., #115
Springdale, Ar. 72764-4634
Phone: 501-756-2780
Children's Aid Society
Office of Closed Records
150 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017
New York Foundling Hospital
Department of Closed Records
590 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10001
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Individuals
Madonna Harms
(Archivist for Iowa Orphan Train Riders Archives Center)
401 Broad Street
Rolfe, IA 50581
(712) 848-3609
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Don't forget your local public library, historical society, and newspaper
office (archives)!!