The childrens aid society of new york was the primary sending institution involved in the orphan train movement from 18531930 which placed out by railroad 200,000 orphans, abandoned, or homeless children to 48 states and canada. New york seedlings bloom in kansas, self published. Two organizations were responsible for more than half the 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. Apr 09, 2019 the 35 children who gathered at new yorks childrens aid society in 1880 all had. From 1854 to 1929, hundreds of thousands of young children boarded trains in new york city, to be shipped west where they would find new families. These children were placed primarily by the new york foundling hospital nyfh and the children s aid society cas and are now referred to as orphan train riders. Although it had its pitfalls, orphan trains and other children s aid initiatives led to a host of child welfare reforms, including child labor. Orphan train riders were sent from new york city to western families for adoption. The largest groups came from the new york foundling hospital, and from the children s aid society. Children s aid, formerly the children s aid society, is a private child welfare nonprofit in new york city founded in 1853 by charles loring brace. Orphan trains and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
She finds a glimmer of hope when the new york children s aid society starts sending skilled workers to burgeoning towns out west. In 1929, the childrens aid societys last orphan train left new york. Orphan trains genealogical society of rockland county. Orphan train speaker authenticated by the national orphan train speakers bureau. The children were transported to their new homes on trains which were eventually labeled orphan trains. Orphan trains brought homeless nyc children to work on farms. The childrens aid society department that was responsible for sending children to be adopted was first called the emigration department, or homefinding department, and later it changed its name to department of foster care. Children were placed on orphan trains that stopped at more than 45 states across the country, as well as canada and mexico. The total number of children admitted to the nyja from its inception up to december 31st, 1919 no less than 42,977. Foundling hospital records new york city orphan train records. For years the city had been sweeping these children into prisons or almshouses, but in 1853 the young minister charles loring brace proposed a radical solution to the problem by creating the children s aid society, an organization that fought to provide homeless children with shelter, education. Many organizations in new england placedout children via orphan trains.
Archival finding aids for manuscript collections at the new york historical society. A few years later children were being distributed by the new york children s aid society as proxies for the new york juvenile asylum all over the midwest. Between twelve and fifteen children left new york on february 18, 1873. Please see the south bend area genealogical society quarterly january 2016 and april 2016 issues for additional historical background. A new book challenges perceptions of st kilda being an isolated lost world populated by people living in isolation from the rest of scotland. This first installment from rosemary j kinds series, tales of flynn and reilly. Because the children were transported by train to their new homes, the term orphan trains began being used. Mar 23, 2004 they were throw away kids, living in the streets or in orphanages and foster homes. But though many children did ride to better lives on orphan trains, others did not. Orphan train riders of new york, continues the dream of its founders and contributors exclusively as an orphan train organization whose primary objective is to support and educate others about a phenomenal part of american history. The national orphan train complex in concordia, ks is a museum and research center dedicated to the orphan train movement, the various institutions that participated, and the children and agents who rode the trains. The children were called orphans, yet many had living relatives. One of the principals of this group was a young congregational minister, rev. Annual gatherings are attended by riders, descendants acrosstheboard of new york orphan train riders, friends.
Winner of the national indie excellence award in history for her book extra. The entire collection has been rehoused and processed and a finding aid, or guide to the collection, can be located here. Placing out in america bison book holt, marilyn irvin on. Orphan trains in kansas in the mid 19th century as new york city streets continued to grow with immigrants working to make ends meet, the population of homeless youth soared to approximately 30,000. Minnesota historical society winning essayist awards. Orphan trains stopped at more than 45 states across the country as well as in canada and mexico. This website only attempts to follow the children who were known to have been placed in illinois. At the heart of the book are the tales of the orphan train children. As an adult, winefred lorraine williams learned that she was placed in a new york city orphanage soon after her birth in 1922.
Millers greatgreat grandfather worked for the children s aid society in new york for 60 years and rode one of the orphan trains to kansas from new york city. An ancestry researcher can travel in time with orphan train records. Those institutions are the children s aid society, and the new york foundling hospital. Twelve were placed in black earth, and one in melrose. In midnineteenthcentury new york, vagrant youth, both orphans and. He founded the children s aid society and felt the answer to homelessness was to be found in the fresh air and kindheartedness of the america farmer. This site on flickr highlights a selection of images from the historical records of the children s aid society. Oconnor has pieced together the experience of the children by drawing on the institutional reports and fundraising publications collaborative fictionalizations that the children s aid society. We have also found information on orphan trains to elkhart county sponsored by the new york childrens aid society and bostons baldwin place missionhome for little wanders. New york juvenile asylum records childrens village, 18531954.
Children s aid operated lodging houses, fresh air programs, and industrial schools to support an estimated 30,000 poor and orphaned children living in the citys streets. During their first night out from new york city, on a riverboat traveling up the hudson. An unexpected family orphan train romance series, book 1. An unexpected family orphan train romance series, book 1 zoe matthews. Kidder is considered to be one of the leading authorities on americas orphan train movement. Charles loring brace, a connecticut minister was appalled at the misery of orphaned and abandoned children living in deplorable conditions on the streets of new york city. Annette r fry text and accompanying photographs present the history of orphaned and abandoned children who were sent from new york city to other states by the children s aid society from 1854 to 1929.
Orphan trains brought homeless nyc children to work on. The orphan train and the children who rode them new england. 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. The new york childrens aid society and the orphan trains. The collection consists of the historical records of the children s aid society cas. And over the 75 year span of the orphan train movement, it is estimated that between 150,000 and 200,000 orphan children were relocated to new homes via the orphan trains. The orphan train movement was a supervised welfare program that transported orphaned and. Researching orphans in genealogy the new york public library. Winner of the moonbeam children s book award in history for her book charlie s. This novella is the first of a new series based on a group of children from the childrens aid society, a new york orphanage who travel on an orphan train to texas. The new york charity institutions involved in the orphan train movement include the children s aid society, the new york juvenile asylum now called children s village, the new york foundling hospital, and the orphan asylum society of the city of new york.
Between 1854 and 1919 it is estimated that 105,000 children rode the orphan train. Decisions to go west, stay in new york, or move to an alternative east coast location were made by the society and the child. Orphan train name index south bend area genealogical society. It was charles loring brace, the founder of the childrens aid society. Then charles loring brace, a young minister working with the poor in new york city, started the children s aid society and devised a plan to give homeless children a chance to find families to call their own. Social welfare history project childrens aid society of. Her mother, sophia kaminsky hillesheim, 1917 orphan train rider, was one of the children of the orphan trains taking part in a phenomenal journey from new york city to the midwest. Childrens village still operates to this day as a treatment center and residential facility for boys in dobbs ferry, new york. I only intended to sit down to read one chapter and wound up reading the whole book in one sitting. Although it had its pitfalls, orphan trains and other childrens aid initiatives led to a host of child welfare reforms, including child labor laws, adoption, and the establishment of foster care services. This period of mass relocation of children in the united states is widely recognized as the beginning of documented foster care in america. Between 1854 and 1929, up to 200,000 children were placed on the trains and adopted by new families. For most of the orphan train era, the childrens aid society bureaucracy made no distinction.
This novella is the first of a new series based on a group of children from the children s aid society, a new york orphanage who travel on an orphan train to texas. Although it had its pitfalls, orphan trains and other children s aid initiatives led to a host of child welfare reforms, including child labor laws, adoption, and the establishment of foster care services. Thus began an extraordinary migration of american children. Known as the orphan train, the program to relocate orphaned and abandoned children was operated largely by the children s aid society and the new york foundling hospital. In 1853, charles loring brace and a group of businessmen formed a new organization to help care for the neglected children of new york city. The states that received the most children during this time period were. 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.
Charles brace, who was born june 19, 1826, in litchfield, connecticut, attended yale and studied theology. Sep 27, 2012 orphan train riders of new york midwest. Feb 08, 2001 the first half of this book is the most interesting. Orphan trains that brought homeless nyc children to work on farms duration. Childrens aid was founded in 1853 by charles loring brace and a group of social reformers at a time when orphan asylums and almshouses were the only social services available for poor and homeless children in new york city. In this lesson, students will develop their ideas about social tradeoffs by examining the history of the orphan trains and the new york children s aid society, created in 1853. In 1853 he founded the childrens aid society and the first orphan train left new york in 1854 with a goal of placing.
The children s aid society used a contract when placing children with families throughout america and advertised extensively in the american. Guide to the records of the childrens aid society 1836. The orphan train saga follows the story of the six kelly children, whose widowed mother has sent them west from new york city in 1856 because she realizes she cannot give them the life they deserve. There is a book, the great arizona orphan abduction by linda gordon. Three years after that first orphan train left boston, charles loring brace began sending more than 300 children a year on orphan trains from new york city. While the book is ostensibly specifically about charles loring brace and orphan trains it s really a history of how children are viewed and treated, and those who live in poverty, are viewed and treated, from the late 18th century through the early 20th century in america, mostly new york city. The new york children s aid society was by far the largest and most prominent organization and it set an example which others followed. The family matching process was haphazard, to say the least. New york, orphans placed in the new york foundling. Charles loring brace founded the childrens aid society in order to help these children.
They had no idea that they were on an orphan train or that they had become. Holt carefully analyzes the system, initially instituted by the new york children s aid society in 1853, tracking its imitators as well as the reasons for. At its peak, the new york children s aid society was placingout thousands of children every year. The purpose was to find families that would take in children in a freehomeplacingout program instituted by the childrens aid society of new york city, new york. At the time, new york citys population was only 500,000. The orphan trains operated prior to the federal governments involvement in child protection and child welfare. The charitable organization was founded in new york city in 1853 to aid, educate and provide lodging for poor children in the city, andor to place them in foster homes or with employers outside of the city. While they operated, orphan trains moved approximately 200,000 children from cities like new york and boston to the american west to be adopted. The childrens aid society national orphan train complex.
Each story will feature some of the children and what happens to. During its first year the childrens aid society primarily offered its young. They were all written up in the same record books and, on the whole. The new york childrens aid society cas was founded in february 1853 by a small group of clergymen and social reformers concerned about the general conditions of homeless, neglected and delinquent children. Brace considered a number of factors about the children who were involved in the orphan train program. Each story will feature some of the children and what happens to them as children and adults, while. Guide to the records of the children s aid society 18362006 bulk 18531947 ms 111. Stephen oconnor a powerful blend of history, biography, and adventure, orphan trains fills a gap in the american narrative. I am giving new york orphan a well deserved 5 stars. But the promise of the society s orphan trains is not all that it seems. The orphan train and the children who rode them new.
This care led to the freehomeplacingout of over 200,000 children between 1854 and the early 1930s. With the creation of the childrens aid society in 1853, he provided homeless youngsters with shelter, education, and, for many, a new family out west. About clark kidder records of the new york juvenile asylum. The new york childrens aid society and the orphan trains era. Nov 18, 2019 many organizations in new england placedout children via orphan trains. Connecticut, new jersey, and pennsylvania also received substantial numbers of children. The story of charles loring brace and the children. Orphans return to a city they left on sad trains the new. The period in america s history of caring for homeless children called the freehomeplacingout era began with charles loring brace and the founders of the new york children s aid society in new york city in 1853. Jul 20, 2018 this broadside was posted in a town where an orphan train had arrived in the late 1800s. Determined to remedy the situation, the childrens aid society and the new york foundling hospital devised a program to take children off of the streets of new york and boston and place them in homes in the american west rather than allow them to continue to be arrested and taken advantage of on the streets. In 1929, the children s aid society s last orphan train left new york. After discovering his paternal grandmother, emily reese kidder, was placed on an orphan train by the new york childrens aid society and sent to the midwest in 1906, he began researching the subject and his grandmothers life.
Delavan and sharon, walworth county, wi, and racine racine county, wi. Jul 18, 2018 helen macior came to chicago from new york at the age of 3 on an orphan train. Children s aid society of new york how can you feed so many children. The entire collection has been rehoused and processed and a finding aid. They called it the childrens aid society cas with mr. The asylum was later known as the children s village. The new york children s aid society and the orphan trains era by mary ellen pollock mary ellen pollock was herself a rider on the orphan train. Smith and several hundred other orphan train children, all elderly, from minnesota to texas, will attend their first gathering in new york, a fourday meeting at the penta. First of all, i shall tell you about the man who started the placingout of children, and then about the orphan train riders.
Many an ancestry researcher knows that new york city is and was a tough place to live. Donna nordmark aviles, left talks with doris miller of york township on sunday at martin library. Newyork historical society childrens aid society images. The children were sent in groups of twentyfive to 100 on trains, making stops along the way where they might be chosen by some family who wanted a child or needed extra help. This book concentrates on the cas orphan trains, not only because the society. Charles loring brace conceptualized the emigration plan to resettle poor and orphaned children living in new york city with farm families in the west to deter. Basically, there were two main institutions responsible for this mass emigration of children from new york. Death of an experiment between 1854 and 1929, 250,000 orphans at peril in the dangerous, overcrowded streets east coast cities were placed on trains and sent west to live with new. Both are still active today in 1996 helping children. Jan 05, 2018 the childrens aid society department that was responsible for sending children to be adopted was first called the emigration department, or homefinding department, and later it changed its name to department of foster care. When this recordclick genealogist has visited the nyc metropolis on a number of occasions, i, too, have found it a challenging place to navigate.
Born into elite new york society, thornton quincy possesses everything except the ability to step out from his brother s shadow. The largest groups came from the new york foundling hospital, and from the children s aid society first orphan train was in 1854. Archival finding aids are detailed guides to the contents and intellectual organization of a repository s archival and manuscript collections. As the subtitle of the book indicates, while many children were saved by.
The term orphan train was avoided because less than half of the children were truly orphans. The city was at a loss to solve this problem until the childrens aid society and the new york foundling hospital conjured up a unique plan that. Between 1853 and 1929, an estimated 200,000 poor, abandoned and orphaned children were shipped from new york city orphanages to western families for adoption. The recently rescinded trump administration policy of separating migrant families at the us border has made headlines lately. For most of the orphan train era, the childrens aid society bureaucracy made no distinction between local placements and even its most distant ones. Formerly the orphan train heritage society of america, this organization publishes the quarterly newsletter crossroads and organizes an annual celebration for orphan train riders and their descendents. It is part of the childrens aid society archives housed at the newyork historical society library. When the orphan train movement began, in the mid19th century, it was estimated that approximately 30,000 abandoned children were living on the streets of new york. The society was responsible for placing out newsboys, bootblacks, and children of the street on orphan trains headed west, where they found new family homes. The charitable organization was founded in new york city in 1853 to aid, educate, and provide lodging for poor children in the city, andor to place them in foster homes or with employers outside of the city. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, new york had many orphans, particularly in new york city. The children, especially thirteenyearold frances mary, feel an. The 35 children who gathered at new yorks childrens aid society in 1880 all had stories of deprivation and abuse to tell. Childrens aid operated lodging houses, fresh air programs, and industrial schools to support an estimated 30,000 poor.
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