I heard a speaker last evening discuss the history of the Orphan Train, where children (most, but not all, orphans), living in Boston and New York City, were loaded up on trains and taken to towns in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and on to the West. Upon arrival, the children were lined up and shown to local families, who might either adopt them or indenture them as servants. If not selected, they rode on to the next town. In the process, children could be separated from siblings, and most lost touch with any remaining family. This occurred from 1854 through 1927. The speaker was Al Eicher, and his organization is Program Source International. He was personally inspired to begin this research, as his grandmother was separated from her brother for 45 years, as a result of this policy. He is trying to contact descendants of Orphan Train riders to add to the history already reseached. Ann Garvin Michigan

Hi Ann, Here is a good site for info on orphan train riders http://www.orphantrainriders.com/Menu.html Sharon AGarvin224@aol.com wrote: >I heard a speaker last evening discuss the history of the Orphan Train, where >children (most, but not all, orphans), living in Boston and New York City, >were loaded up on trains and taken to towns in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and >on to the West. Upon arrival, the children were lined up and shown to local >families, who might either adopt them or indenture them as servants. If not >selected, they rode on to the next town. In the process, children could be >separated from siblings, and most lost touch with any remaining family. This >occurred from 1854 through 1927. >The speaker was Al Eicher, and his organization is Program Source >International. He was personally inspired to begin this research, as his grandmother was >separated from her brother for 45 years, as a result of this policy. He is >trying to contact descendants of Orphan Train riders to add to the history >already reseached. >Ann Garvin >Michigan > > > >