Located in Concordia, Kansas, the complex includes a museum and research center. Children were placed throughout the United States and Canada. 17. Please contact Amanda Wahlmeier, curator. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Twenty-one photos of orphan train riders have been compiled on the CBS News Website of orphan train riders. The Complex will also research, for a fee, names of potential orphan train riders. Sometimes these sending institutions have records which show the names of the birth parents. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, Ⓒ 2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. A service provided by, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas Archives, Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center, Kansas City Public Library Missouri Valley Special Collections, FHL Fiche (v. 1) 6104624; Film (v. 5-6) 2421593 Items 2-3; Book 973 J3j, Kansas Orphan Train Riders Index and Research, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Fort Hays State University Forsyth Library, Riley County Genealogical Society Library, https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=National_Orphan_Train_Complex&oldid=4295881, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The museum includes rotating exhibits featuring artifacts from the orphan trains era and the research center houses books, photographs and over 10,000 files on individual orphan train riders. The Orphan Train movement undoubtedly had its shortcomings, but it also improved the lives of many, said Charlotte Endorf, a Norfolk writer who has documented the stories of 60 riders … He was one of the children that ended up on the Orphan Train. Hi Tereasa! © 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. The Research Center holds the archives for the complex, including over 10,000 files on individual Orphan Train Riders. He was born somewhere in Pennsylvania. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Orphan Train riders, from the "Riders on the Orphan Train" multimedia performance at Union Depot in St. Paul, Minn. Credit: National Orphan Train Complex Museum and Research Center National Orphan Train Complex - 300 Washington St, Concordia, KS 66901 - Rated 4.9 based on 1 Review "Amazing museum, so moving in so many ways" We are currently the official outreach program for the National Orphan Train Complex Museum and Research Center in Concordia, KS - www.orphantraindepot.org . OTHSA maintains the Orphan Train Riders Research Center, a museum with an archive of newspapers, census records, oral histories, letters, and photographs pertaining to the … Required fields are marked *. Hi Ernie! NOTC has 66 volumes of orphan train rider records of the American Female Guarding Society (AFGS), photos, about 20,000 rider records, 9,700 names in computer databases, and Internet access to Ancestry.com.[3]. It’s estimated that the 200,000 orphan train riders have two million descendants, some of them living in Arkansas. Orphan train rider photographed by Anna Laura Hill of the Children's Aid Society. The museum is located at the restored Union Pacific Railroad Depot in Concordia which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The society operated a research center and museum in Springdale from 1986 to 2003, but in the summer of 2003, the collection was moved to a restored Union Pacific train station in Concordia, Kansas. Miriam C Kuklock November 3, 1914-March 15, 1996 Orphan Train RIder, June 30, 1917 Miriam was found on the steps of St Patrick's Cathedral by a policeman, who brought her to the New York Foundling Hospital. Select Your Cookie Preferences. For most the new life worked out well, but for others it was a bad experience. The society sponsors reunions and publications, offers a website, and maintains a research center in Springdale, Arkansas. The Morgan-Dowell Research Center holds the archives of the National Orphan Train Complex. Courtesy of the National Orphan Train Complex Museum and Research Center by Clark Kidder, Wisconsin Orphan Train Research Center If you have more information on the above Orphan Train Rider, please contact the sender and this site at tsvickery@adelphia.net. Can you help me so I can add his original birth parents to my family trees. The Sisters sorted out and matched each child on this train to new homes before they boarded the train. Irma exclaimed, ” “That’s my new Momma,” and was soon rushing to meet Mrs. Katherine Boehm.Irma’s long  journey began when her birth mother, Lyda, left Irma at the New York Foundling Hospital when she was only a few months old. Alison Moore and Phil Lancaster developed the outreach program, Riders on the Orphan Train for The Orphan Train Heritage Society of America, Inc. in Springdale, Arkansas in 1997. I’m looking for the birth parents of my great grandfather Earl Richard Myers. This website requires a paid subscription for full access. [2] This includes the history of the orphan train movement, and the stories of the children, photos, artifacts, and an archival collection. There was NO IDENTIFICATION on her frail, malnourished body or the basket she was found in. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). This page has been viewed 18,857 times (0 via redirect). The Orphan Train Heritage Society of America, Inc. founded in 1986 in Springdale, AR preserves the history of the orphan train era. Concordia opened a new museum and research center in the railroad depot. As the train came to a stop little Irma could see a lady holding a large card with 32 written on it. Social policy of the time said orphans or neglected children were better off doing chores on a pioneer’s farm than they would be on the streets of crowded slums. But for many of the other 200,000 orphan train riders from 1853 to 1930 the experience included being selected (or not) during a review done by total strangers on a string of several railroad station platforms. I`m looking for information regarding an orphan train rider named Agnes F Galt born February 1876 was adopted from orphan train between 1881 and 1884 near Perrysburg, Ohio. Whether a foundling, or a teenager separated from a neglectful alcoholic single-parent, each orphan train rider’s fate was strongly influenced by what happened in a few moments on a far away railroad platform. We challenge all descendants, their families, friends, and neighbors to honor the Orphan Train Riders’ history by giving a monthly tax-deductible donation to the National Orphan Train Complex. 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 … Orphan Train Heritage Society of America. Charles Loring Brace founded the Children's Aid Society in order to help these children. Children who rode the train were not always what we would considered an “orphan”. About one in twenty-five Americans has an orphan train rider connection. The last train from the CAS ran to Sulphur Springs, Texas on May 31, 1929. The National Orphan Train Complex reported the Children's Aid Foundation placed 3.258 children in Minnesota between 1854-1910. 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. Two organizations were responsible for more than half the orphan trains: the Children’s Aid Society, and the New York Foundling Hospital. Español ... Orphan Train Reading Recommendation: The Orphan Train Adventure Series by Joan Lowery Nixon. Because this is the first time that I’ve none that he was adopted. A Kansas Town Makes Sure We Don't Forget How Orphan Train Riders Helped Settle America by C.J. The research center is located at the restored Union Pacific Railroad Depot in Concordia and is … Many newspaper articles have been published in Arkansas about the orphan trains, and American Experience produced a documentary about orphan trains for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). This number varies from 150,000 to 250,000. Please check out the FREE Family History Library Online Consultations where you can schedule time with a consultant to help you on any family history question you may have. Orphan Train Rider Jack Voigt's opening speech at the 1990 OTHSA Reunion. The train out of New York City full of nuns and children pulled up to the Osage, Missouri station in 1901. Some still had one or both parents still living. Complex) collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about the orphan trains, the children and the agents who rode them.This includes the history of the orphan train movement, and the stories of the children, photos, artifacts, and an archival collection. Your contributions will help pay bills like water, electricity, insurance, a salary for the curator, and many miscellaneous items the board uses every day. Also, they maintain a rider registry, a speakers' bureau, and the organization's online news. A service provided by, Finding local genealogy records of Maine ancestors, Family History Library Online Consultations, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thank you for your research question. Box 322 Concordia, KS 66901. Children 'placed out' during the Orphan Train Era (1853-1929) and their descendants have particular research problems. ($25 Research Fee) New York Historical Society ... Must have documentation that the person was an orphan train rider to receive additional information. The Museum and Research Center is dedicated to the preservation of the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train Movement from 1854-1929. Welcome to 'Orphan Train Riders to Iowa' website! The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul had raised her for three years. Another research source for the movement is the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America … Many children rode the train to the Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Texas where they were "placed" with families. If you cannot visit or find a source at the National Orphan Train Complex, a similar source may be available at one of the following. 17. General admission: $5.00 Adults;  $3.00 Children under 12;  $4.00 Group rate for 10 or more people. Less than one in ten riders was returned. We hope to educate you a bit on this subject and help you further your research on any ancestors you may have that came to Iowa on one of the infamous Orphan Trains. Thank you for your research question. 1. This complex is dedicated to the preservation of history of orphan trains from 1854-1929. According to the National Orphan Train Complex, a museum and research center in Kansas, about 200,000 orphaned, abandoned and homeless children were placed in 47 states and Canada. The National Orphan Train Complex has compiled a number of stories of the children who rode the trains to be placed in foster care. When the orphan train movement began, it was estimated that 30,000 abandoned children were living on the streets of New York City. A good source for finding data about the movement is the National Orphan Train Complex. From this period on, the term “orphan train” has been used liberally. Amanda Wahlmeier, Orphan Train Research Center curator, orphantraindepot@gmail.com, 28 September 2012, e-mail to David Dilts, DiltsGD@familysearch.org. National Adoption Information Clearinghouse ... National Orphan Train Complex 300 Washington St. P.O. You can also connect with other FamilySearch users who may be able to help you, by joining the FamilySearch Community. Please check out the FREE Family History Library Online Consultations where you can schedule time with a consultant to help you on any family history question you may have. These files hold stories, photos, and documents pertaining to the Orphan Train era. Janovy, KCUR Radio The National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, Kansas, includes a museum in the former Union Pacific Depot, the Morgan-Dowell Research Center, a historic passenger train car and several statues of children. One or more of them may trigger a discussion for your group. Buy Riders on the Orphan Train: a novel by Moore, Alison from Amazon's Fiction Books Store. Children 'placed out' during the Orphan Train Era (1853-1929) and their descendants have particular research problems. See Family History Research Wiki articles on each state's: Adoption, Vital Records, or Emigration and Immigration articles. From 1854 to 1929 an estimated 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children were placed throughout the United States and Canada during the Orphan Train Movement. It’s dedicated to preserving the orphan train riders’ stories and helping family members locate information about their orphan train riders. The Complex maintains a… Your email address will not be published. Also, they maintain a rider registry, a speakers' bureau, and the organization's online news. You can also connect with other FamilySearch users who may be able to help you, by joining the FamilySearch Community. NOTC charges $20 for their research resources. 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. Houston area relatives and acquaintances of Orphan Train Riders in attended will be invited to share their stories. The Sisters sorted out and matched each child on this train to new homes before they boarded the train. Humanities scholar Alison Moore and musician Phil Lancaster have been working together to preserve the stories of the Orphan Trains since 1998 through the outreach programs of the National Orphan Train Complex Museum and Research Center located in Concordia, Kansas. Thank you. But for many of the other 200,000 orphan train riders from 1853 to 1930 the experience included being selected (or not) during a review done by total strangers on a string of several railroad station platforms. This page was last edited on 12 March 2021, at 14:20. NOTC has 66 volumes of orphan train rider records of the American Female Guarding Society (AFGS), p… Good luck and thank you for reading the blog! The Complex web site located at National Orphan Train Complex, Inc. offers a variety of resources for genealogists interested in Orphan Train research. The National Orphan Train Museum and Research Center (a.k.a. The National Orphan Train Complex, also known as the National Orphan Train Museum and Research Center, is located in Concordia, Kansas. They also have a museum and research center. The mission of the National Orphan Train Complex is to collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about the orphan trains, and the children and agents who rode them. The Museum and Research Center is dedicated to the preservation of the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train … Good luck and thank you for reading the blog! The National Orphan Train Museum and Research Center (a.k.a. To preserve and document the history of orphan train riders, Mary Ellen Johnson founded the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America in 1986. 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 from 1854-1929. To learn about orphan train and adoption research try these Research Wiki articles: Your email address will not be published. Welcome to 'Orphan Train Riders to Iowa' website! We hope to educate you a bit on this subject and help you further your research on any ancestors you may have that came to Iowa on one of the infamous Orphan Trains. Three year old Irma Craig had her name, birth date, and name of who was to receive her sewn on the inside of her jacket and a large number 32 sewn on the outside. Date and location unknown. Complex) collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about the orphan trains, the children and the agents who rode them. 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