Orphan Train Riders Experiences
By: Stephanie Devlin
Orphan Train Experience
The Orphan Train Experience was a program that transported orphaned and homeless children from cities that were crowded in the United States and put them into foster homes. This happened because the parents passed away, were in the war, or they abandoned their own kids, or the kids ran away. Orphan Train stopped in many different states but mostly were in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. Most of the Orphan Train riders were put into Foster Homes in Pennsylvania and New York. The Orphan Train riders were put into foster homes with thirty kids in it, the people who ran the foster homes took the kids in and raised them as their own family. Some kids ran away because they didn't know what was going on.
When did the Orphan Train Experience occur?
The Orphan Train experience occurred during the late 18th century through the early 19th century.
Orphan Train Riders
Clifton and Myrte Jennings
Clifton and Myrte Jennings were brother and sister who rode an orphan train from New York in 1912, they took the orphan train all the way to Arkanas.
Anna Miller Bassett
Anna was taking to a Orphan home in 1920 to New York City. Anna was picked up on a cold january day in 1918 from Whitewright Texas.
Charles Frederick
Frederick was picked up on the Orphan Train on September 6th, 1888 in Rockford, Illinois.
Videos
Video of what the Orphan Train was.
Orphan Train- State Documentary
Documentary of Orphan Train Riders experiences
Riders on the Orphan Train: Largest Child Migration
Interview with one of the train riders.
Orphan Train Rider Museum Opelousas Interviews
Sources
http://orphantraindepot.org/orphan-train-rider-stories/
http://orphantraindepot.org/orphan-train-rider-stories/359-2/
http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2007/novemberdecember/feature/lost-children-riders-the-orphan-train
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphan_Train
http://orphantraindepot.org/orphan-train-rider-stories/anna-miller-bassett/