Department
History
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Abstract
Between 1854 and 1929, the placement system that became known as the orphan trains in modern scholarship, removed neglected and orphaned children from the dangerous streets of New York City and attempted to place them into homes across America that would benefit their futures. While this charity-run program was well-intentioned, the estimated two hundred fifty thousand children of the orphan trains experienced a mix of encounters upon their placements. Although many homes provided a caring environment for these children, others did not. After years of struggle during their early childhood, numerous children had not only lost their parents and were possibly separated from their siblings, several of them also found abusive treatment in these new families. This range of childhood trauma furthered the complex background of these children and resulted in a lack of discussion of their early lives, sometimes not even sharing with their own families. The absence of public awareness of the largest migration of children in American history led to a silence in regard to its remembrance. This thesis examines the memorialization efforts of both the direct descendants of orphan train riders and independent historical organizations. Through recent developments of preservation, one can see the timeline of dedicated research of these subsequent generations and the founders of the modern National Orphan Train Complex. While a majority of orphan train riders did not choose to reflect on their own experiences with their families for feelings of embarrassment or trauma, the continued efforts of both their descendants and independent organizations helped to give a voice to this forgotten placing-out program. Along their journey of tracing their own genealogical history to find out more about their families, these subsequent generations have mastered their own forms of memorialization, ultimately becoming the torch bearers for the remembrance of their ancestors and what they endured.
Keywords
Migration, Children's History, Mary Ellen Johnson, Children's Aid Society, Concordia, Kansas
Advisor
Dr. Kim Perez
Date of Award
Spring 2024
Document Type
Thesis
Recommended Citation
Lockwood, Joanna, "Retracing Their Tracks: The Rediscovery and Memorialization Efforts of the National Orphan Train Project" (2024). Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice. 3305.
DOI: 10.58809/OPHY7049
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses/3305
Rights
© The Author
Included in
Genealogy Commons, Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Oral History Commons, Public History Commons, Social History Commons, United States History Commons
