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Journeys of Hope: The Orphan Train Era in American History

The Orphan Train Era (1853-1929) was the largest mass relocation of children in American history. Over 273,000 children were transported by rail out of Grand Central Station in New York City and sent all across America in search of homes. The first trains left New York City in response to the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1852) when 30,000 orphaned Irish children roamed the streets of NYC living in alleyways, wooden boxes, and sewer pipes. During the Civil War, more children from every ethnic group lost their families and were put on the Orphan Trains. Later, the influx of five million immigrants from around the world in the late 19th- and early 20th centuries exacerbated the situation. The Orphan Trains ran out of Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston. Some scholars estimate over 500,000 children were put on trains by orphanages, childcare agencies, and asylums. The Children’s Aid Society and the Foundling Hospital centralized the use of Orphan Trains in New York City, and they ran from 1853 to 1929. There were some happy endings: two boys sent on the same train to Indiana later became Governors of Alaska & North Dakota. Join us to learn more about this fascinating yet overlooked era in US history.

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