Our grandpas rode the Orphan Train

Saturday, July 22 at 2 p.m., Pat White and Joan Morgan will present a program on the Orphan Train movement.

Both ladies had grandfathers who rode the Orphan Train and adopted into our Henry County communities.

Plan to attend this interesting part of history of the westward movement and the personal stories of some of the participants.

The Henry County Heritage Center Museum is located in the old Saunders School building at 403 West Madison Street in Mount Pleasant. The program is free, and refreshments will be served. Call 319-385-4983 if you have questions.

Joan’s presentations will include some of the history of the orphan train movement as well as her grandpa’s story. Pat will share a bit of Henry County orphan train history and tell her grandpa’s story.

The Orphan Train movement began in 1854 and lasted until 1929, Charles Loring Brace, a Methodist minister, established the Children’s Aid Society in New York City.

The cities of the East were overwhelmed by thousands of immigrants as well as poor economic conditions forcing farm families to leave for city An 1850 newspaper estimated there were some 40,000 orphans, unwanted, or homeless children roaming the streets of New Your City alone.

Rev. Brace believed the best way to help was to get the children out of the city, People on the frontier could choose and adopt these children as their own.

A large number of groups adopted this method of reducing the population of their “orphanages.” Trains were known as Mercy trains, Baby trains, Emigrant trains, etc. Eventually they were all lumped together as Orphan trains and the term came to represent all trains carrying children west to be adopted.

It is estimated that nearly 10,00 children were brought to Iowa. Ninety-five percent of all Iowa towns were visited by Orphan Trains.

In 1854, the children were ferried across the river at Rock Island/Davenport. The railroad had not yet bridged the Mississippi River.

There are also records indicating that children left over on some Michigan destination trains were transported to Iowa by charitable organizations. An orphanage founded in Iowa City was closed a few years after its opening.

The orphanage there was designed to teach children about farm life and promote more adoptions. It was closed due to the perceived lawlessness of the city children.

The Orphan Train Heritage Society of America has preserved many stories of the riders in their series: Orphan Train Riders: Their Own Stories. Volumes 1-6.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn about Henry County families and their experiences with this unique solution.