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.) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- 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. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- 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. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- 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 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- 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 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Individuals Madonna Harms (Archivist for Iowa Orphan Train Riders Archives Center) 401 Broad Street Rolfe, IA 50581 (712) 848-3609 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Don't forget your local public library, historical society, and newspaper office (archives)!!