Orphans ... Foundlings ... Waifs ... Half-Orphans ... Street Arabs ... Street Urchins ... all terms used to describe the children who rode the Orphan Trains. When the Orphan Train movement began, in the mid-19th century, it was estimated that approximately 30,000 abandoned children were living on the streets of New York. 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. But the term "orphan" is used loosely in many cases. Some children were true orphans, no parents, no other family to look after them, living on the streets, sleeping in doorways, fending for themselves by whatever means necessary. But many of these children had parents. Some were "half-orphans", one parent had died and the remaining parent could not care for them, so they were placed in an orphanage. Some children still had both parents, but were merely "turned loose" by the parents because the family had grown too large and they couldn't care for all the children. Some were run-aways - from abuse, drunkeness, etc. The factors that "created" these children are many. Some of them are: ![]() ![]() ![]() immigration in the mid 19th century. ![]() classes" didn't deserve help, that they "were poor because they chose not to help themselves, therefore they got what they deserved". Basically, there were two main institutions responsible for this mass "emigration" of children from New York. Those institutions are The Children's Aid Society, and The New York Foundling Hospital. Both are still active today (in 1996) helping children. The first "train" went out from The Children's Aid Society on September 20, 1854, with 46 ten-to-twelve-year-old boys and girls. Their destination was Dowagiac, Michigan. All 46 children were successfully placed in new homes. While this "placement" effort of orphans was not entirely original to these two institutions, there had been similar efforts tried in Boston as early as the mid 1840s, they are the institutions that most often come to mind when discussing the Orphan Train movement. Rev. Charles Loring Brace and The Children's Aid Society:Brace, a 26 year old Congregational minister, found his "calling" a little closer to street-level, than the lofty climes of the pulpit. In 1853, concerned with the growing number of "homeless" children he saw wandering the streets of New York, he joined together with other "reformers" and founded the Childrens Aid Society. Unlike other charitable institutions of the time, he wanted to provide more than just food, clothing, and a place to sleep. He felt that education and the opportunity to learn a trade were necessary ingredients in properly caring for these children. For a short while, he tried helping these children with his institutions in New York City, establishing schools for them, teaching the boys a trade, inviting volunteering ladies to help teach the girls the proper way to behave and dress, establishing a "savings bank" to teach the boys to save their money rather than gamble it away. But just a year after founding the Children's Aid Society he knew he needed help. Thus, he took up the plan that Boston had tried ten years earlier. Taking "orphans" from the street, sending them "west" on trains and "placing them out" to families at the various stops along the way who were willing to "adopt" them.Sister Irene and The New York Foundling Hospital: The story of Sister Irene and The New York Foundling Hospital runs parallel with that of Rev. Brace and The Children's Aid Society. However, there were a few key differences in how they placed children in new homes. Probably the largest difference in how the Foundling Hospital placed their children is that the children were not sent out to be "randomly" adopted from a town hall or opera house, but were "requested" ahead of time by families who wanted a child. Requests would be sent to the NYFH for a child (for example: a 2 year old, blue eyed, blond haired girl), and then the Sisters would do their best to find a "matching" child. They would then send the requesting family a "receipt" for the child telling when and where the child would arrive by train. This notice requested that the family be at the station ahead of time so as not to miss the train. When the train arrived, the new parents were to have their "notice of arrival" with them which they were to present to the Sisters. This notice had a number on it that would match up with a child on the train. Once the match was made, the parents were to have signed the "receipt" for the child, and they were free to leave with their new child. The Children's Aid Society and The New York Foundlinig Hospital continued to "place out" children until 1930. There were several reasons for the orphan train movement to end. A couple of the primary reasons were: ![]() for familes to consider "adding another mouth to feed", and ![]() designed specifically to help children. These laws made it harder for the trains to continue bringing children into states, and new foster care homes were beginning to replace the large institution/orphanages of the past. It is estimated that there are approximately 500 actual Orphan Train Riders still living in 1996. All would be 70 years old or older. It is also estimated that around 2 million people are descendents of an Orphan Train Rider. Do you have a Rider in your past? ![]() If you would like to read more about the Orphan Trains, here are a few excellent books: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |