Orphan Train Era History

New York City in the 19th Century could be a brutal Place for a child. A magnet to immigrants and the poor in search of jobs, the city was also a haven for gamblers, thieves and murderers. When adults fell victim to alcoholism, prostitution or drug addiction, their children were the ones who suffered the most.
Temperance organizations such as the American Female Guardian Society stepped in, establishing orphanages and homes for unwed mothers and battered women: "homes for the friendless." Some of the children in the homes were orphans, but most were "surrendered" by parents unable to care for them. Nearly 400,000 of these children were fostered out to families across the United States via "orphan trains." Recently a number of Orphan Train Rider organizations have been formed, providing opportunities for the riders to reunite with famly and loved ones, and to seek sources that provide clues to their roots.
I accidently stumbled on to tens of thousands of these records stored in an old barn at the Rockland County Historical Museum and have published them in two books. The Orleans County Genealogical Society held an Orphan Train Reenactment in Medina, NY in 2004. The photos of that event can be found in my books. Since then the OCGS have purchased a train depot which is being turned into the first New York State Orphan Train Museum. Donations to renovate the museum are being sought by the OCGS.