National Orphan Train Complex – Concordia, KS
The history of the Orphan Train is an interesting attempt at trying to give children a home who were homeless at the time. This period ran from 1854 to 1929 when it was estimated that 200,000 children were placed out of homes across the forty-seven states and Canada.
With the huge influx of immigrants to the United States from all over the world because of the promotions being touted about how the United States was the “Land of Milk and Honey,” or “The Land of Opportunity”. The immigrants came thinking they would improve their lives and the lives of their families. In reality they found that there were few jobs and those that were available didn’t pay much. Often times the fathers would take jobs that were terribly dangerous to make the money needed for his family, such as at sea or in other working environments. Safety wasn’t a concern for most of the proprietors of businesses at the time. This left the women and children to make their own way living as best they could in crowded tenements, often with up to 10 people per room.
With no other family to help out in times of need the families often fell apart. The stress was just too great or the illnesses that overcame the family due to the unsanitary living conditions caused many children to be abandoned or orphaned. Orphanages were built to care for as many children as could possibily be taken care of but when the parents could no longer pay the bill for thier care the children became wards of the state. That’s what lead to the Orpah Train.
The social experiment called “placing out” began and between 1853 and 1929 trainloads of destitute and homeless children were transported from New York City, Boston and other cities on the Eastern seacoast to cities and towns along the rail lines in America’s Middle West and West. Chicago and other larger Midwest cities also established orphan trains. It was a way to get rid of the kids that were a burden to the cities. They probably thought it was better than living on the streets, and perhaps it was, but it was a terrifying experience for the children. The children were offered to farmers, housewives and businessmen as indentured workers. Not particualrily a great way to start your life in a new home. Now some of the kids were lucky and went to families that treated them well and loved them, others didn’t.
The “placing out” program was part of the American story for 75 years. When the Orphan Trains were stopped in 1929 it was thought that the child welfare system would be able to take care of these children. It turns out that, although the Orphan Trains no long run the foster care system isn’t a whole lot better today.
When the Oprah Train was coming to town there would be notices posted so that the citizens that were interested in a child could come and examine them and choose which one(s) they wanted. Today the foster care system works differently but still the kids are placed with families, some good, some not and when they are eligible for adoption the prospective parents get to look the child over, have them in their homes on a trial basis, before deciding if it is a child they want to keep.
The stories of the children of the Orpah Train tell of some of the good families that provided homes and loving environment for them, others tell of the difficulties, the lack of warmth and concern for the kids. Studying the stories of the Orpan Train certainly is a piece of history that needs to be remembered.
The Museum and Research Center are dedicated to the preservation of the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train Movement.
Location:
National Orphan Train Complex
300 Washington St.
P.O. Box 322
Concordia, KS 66901
Phone: 785-243-4471
Email: orphantraindepot@gmail.com
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