Orphan Trains

Between 1854 and 1929 the Children's Aid Society of New York had an interesting way of dealing with an orphan crisis. They loaded the children up on trains and pointed them towards the sunset in the West. It is interesting because as the West was expanding, there was a need for larger families to farm and work. In many cases, children were adopted or brought in and made part of families and had great experiences. However, many were treated harshly as they were overworked and treated more like slaves.

In 1929 it all came to an end as new laws dealing with foster care and out-of-state placement were passed. Some of the children are still alive today and were featured in a recent documentary and highlighted here on this CNN video: