Excellent reading for anyone who has been touched by adoption.
Our Family Tree: A Treasury of Family Memories
Family Tree Magazine [SUBSCRIPTION]
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Adoption Related Places You May Enjoy A place for first, birth, biological, natural mothers to vent and share news and opinions.
On a little island in the Pacific ~ An adoption blog - the life and words of a natural mother.
Adoption search and reunion resources ~ calling for restoration of adult adoptee rights to records access.
Somewhere, somehow, in some little corner of our lives, we are all touched by adoption.
A heart warming but honest blog written by an adoptee who is also a first mom.
A reunited birth aunt and search angel writes her thoughts and seeks to help others.
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Destination Unknown
Elliot Bobo was just eight years old when taken away from his alcoholic father's home and given a small cardboard suitcase. In it he put all of his earthly possessions - not much, just a change of clothing, and that didn't even include a pair of shoes. Like many other children, he became an Orphan Train passenger and never saw his father again.
He boarded the train not knowing where he was being sent. His destination turned out to be an Arkansas farming community where he hoped to start over with a new family. He didn't know that handbills heralded the distribution of cargoes of needy children...he was one of them.
Elliot and other youngsters like him were hustled from the train, cleaned up and paraded on makeshift stages before crowds of prospective "parents." He remembers the ordeal:
A farmer came up to me and felt my muscles. And he says, "Oh, you'd make a good hand on the farm." And I say. "You smell bad. You haven't had a bath, probably, in a year." And he took me by the arm and was gonna lead me off the stage, and I bit him. And that didn't work. So I kicked him. Everybody in the audience thought I was incorrigible. They didn't want me because I was out of control. I was crying in the chair by myself.
As The Orphan Trains (PBS - WGBH TV) so poignantly reveals, even those for whom the journey ultimately was a triumph found the transition from one life to another almost always painful and confusing. "I would give a hundred worlds like this," wrote one child from her new comfortable home, "if I could see my mother."
From The Cawker City Ledger, Mitchell County, Kansas ~ April 14, 1889
One of the most interesting events that has recently occurred in Cawker was the distribution of boys from New York City last Saturday.
As previously announced, Mr. Charles Fry, Children's Aid Society, of New York, was to arrive on Friday night with a company of boys for the purpose of finding homes and employment with farmers and others. Early in the evening a telegram was received stating that sixteen boys would arrive on the train which was an hour late.
The Young Ladies' Aid society holding a social at the time in the Hall, decided to wait and welcome the new immigrants, who upon their arrival were escorted to the Hall and given a supper. They were then quartered at the hotels under the care of the agent and his assistant, Mr. Rudolph Heig.
The committee previously selected to receive names of applicants for boys reported about thirty names, and the distribution under the management of Mr. Fry, the agent of the society, began on Saturday morning at ten o'clock. The Hall was crowded by the curious sight-seers and applicants for boys. The boys were seated on the stage facing the audience and presented altogether a different appearance from the ideas formed of them by some.
They were an intelligent lot of little fellows and neatly clad, the most of them having been in the society's Home four or five years, and have had good training and discipline. All but two can read and write, one of the exceptions being between three and four years old, the ages of the party ranging up to seventeen years.
The good humor of the audience was evoked by the chubby baby's comical and pleased expression. This little orphan fell to the lot of Mr. and Mrs. Chas D. Brown, and quite a scene was enacted on the stage when their selection was made and the little one threw his arms around the neck of his adopted mother. "His lines are fallen in pleasant places."
The mode of distribution was for the Agent to call the name of an applicant and let him select his boy after talking to him and learning his wishes. Where two applicants wanted the same boy the choice of guardian was made by the boy himself. Those who have taken the younger boys are expected to treat them as their own in the matter of schooling and providing for them; the eldest boys are to remain one year and are then expected to decide for themselves. The boys and one girl were distributed as follows:
Willie Bailey, 12 yrs old, to L.A. Rees
Willie Howard, 12 yrs old, to Daniel Shook
Jas K.P. Smith, 12 yrs old, to W.H. McClaskey
Eddie Bean, 12 yrs old, to H.M. Reynolds
Chas Sommers, 12 yrs old, to Jas M. Doak
Chas Martin, 12 yrs old, to A. Grimes
Wm VanWoessell, 10 yrs old, to Wilson Moore
Andrew Tarbitt, 10 yrs old, to J.A. Hazeltine
George Fox, 12 yrs old, to Mrs. E. Bowman
Robert Chadwick, 12 yrs old, to Chas E. Bishop
Joseph Gathier, 17 yrs old, to Wm F. Donaldson
Richard M. Brown, 16 yrs old, to C.H. Hawkins
James Freeman, 4 yrs old, to Chas D. Brown
Robert Duval, 16 yrs old, to Thos Shaw
Thomas Pugh, 16 yrs old, to Gordon Kerr
Mary Chadwick, (no age), to Mrs. L.M. LeggettSince the distribution as above, there have been two changes. It is the desire of the Society's agent, as well as the local committee who assisted, that if further changes are necessary, the committee be advised so that the boys can be cared for. The committee endeavored to do the best for the welfare of the boys, and there being nearly double the number of applicants as there were boys, there must of necessity be some disappointment by many who would have given good homes to the little fellows. It was noticeable that the audience took great interest in the boys being provided with proper homes. Any information, or correspondence in regard to the boys will be given attention to at this office.
From the Star-Courier, Columbus, Kanses, June 21, 1894
As was announced in last week's papers, eighteen orphan children from New York City arrived in Columbus on the five o'clock train Friday morning. They were in care of Messrs. King, Tice, and Mrs. Elston. After bathing and breakfast at the Middaugh hotel, the little ones were as wide awake and bright as if they had not traveled nearly 2,000 miles to find homes in the West.
At an early hour many of the kind hearted citizens of Columbus and Cherokee County, thronged the office and halls of the hotel to see the children and to choose from them such as they desired. Every mothers' heart was touched at the sight of the little ones as at nine o'clock they were led onto the stage at the opera house. There was the chubby, dimpled baby, at once "Monarch of all he surveyed", the little boy still in kilt skirt, his brother in the proud triumphal period of his first pants - all unconscious of how much this occasion meant for them; there were the restless, typical boys of the period, and the older and thoughtful who were evidently pondering these things.
It was a beautiful tribute to kindred love when little brothers tenderly said "good bye", and two little brothers (mere babies) positively refusing to be separated, one kind hearted man took them both. One could not look upon scenes like that and not have his faith in humanity strengthened. There were more demands for children than the supply. Some ladies even came in the afternoon, hoping that some child might be left; but they were all taken before leaving the opera house.
We append the names of the children and their kind benefactors:
Willie Vancura, age 6, with S.W. Alcenz, Neutral.
Joseph Vancura, age 13, with Thomas Haines, country.
Anna Vancura, age 11, with Casper Christienson [correct spelling Caspar Christiansen], country.
Joseph Fertig, age 10, with Wm. McMillen, Tehama, P.O.
John Fertig, age 13, with C.W. Willey, Tehama, P.O.
Edward Burns, age 17, with H.P. Adams, country.
Jacob Leperdoff, age 15, with Jacob Stebbins, country.
Thomas Finn, age 16, with C.D. Arehart, Baxter Springs.
Thomas Smith, age 15, with Mayor Wiswell, Columbus.
Harold Walker, age 2, with Dr. Scammon, Columbus.
Elmer Davis, age 6, with Reuben W. Hefflin, Columbus.
Clarence Brown, age 4, and Matthew Brown, age 7, with J.W. Goul, Cherokee.
John Kline, age 8, with Mrs. Nancy Dagger, Weir City.
Charles Custed, age 7, with Mr. S.O. Goodrich, Columbus.
Scott Mosher, age 9, with Mrs. William Taylor, Columbus.
Frank Mosher, age 11, with Mrs. Ed Scammon, Miami.
Willie Mangan, age 17, with R.L. Risbow, Columbus.From The Jefferson County Tribune, January 12, 1911
Fourteen little folks from the orphanages of New York city arrived at Oskaloosa Thursday and will be placed in homes in and around Oskaloosa. The children are in charge of Rev. J.W. Swan of Clinton, Mo. state agent for the society for Missouri, and Miss Hill and Miss Peterson of New York.
The meeting will be held at the opera house at 11 o'clock this morning. In the party are 5 girls and 9 boys, ranging in age from 2 to 13 years. They are well behaved and look very clean and very decent.
Adoption is not demanded. They are placed in homes under contract and are visited twice in the first year and once each year thereafter, the party receiving them being required to make annual report. Should the child prove unsatisfactory it will be taken back by the society. "We only have about 10 percent returned to the society." said Rev. Swan. Eighty-seven per cent of the children we place do well and grow up to be useful men and women.
Most of these children are of German decent, but all are American born. We have one Dutchman with us. He is Sammy, 5 years old, and speaks German very fluently."
The agents of the society will be at Oskaloosa a week and after the children are placed they will visit them in the homes they go to. If there is any chance that the person taking a child is not satisfied, it will be removed at that time, as the society desires that the person taking the child have a few days to decide the matter finally.
From the Oskaloose Independent, January 13, 1910
Agents of a Children's Aid society have 15 children from orphanages of New York state here for distribution this afternoon and evening, after the manner of the last distribution at Valley Falls. The local committee is composed of Drs. McCreight and Smith, D.A. Bliss, W.E. Huddleston, C.N. Jacquemin, S.E. True, H.H. Morrow.
From The Wilson County Citizen, Wilson County, Kansas, June 2, 1916
The Children's Aid Society of New York brought fifteen children to Fredonia Friday under the care of Miss Anna Hill, and a number of the youngsters have already been given homes by people in the county. Each family which took a child cannot adopt the little person for at least a year, and at no time is adoption required, the children being removed upon notification of the family given to the society. Occasionally a representative of the society will visit the section to see that the youngsters are being treated properly.
Blanche Clymer, aged six has been taken by L. A. Snyder, of Fredonia. Edna Finly, two and one half years of age, has been given a home by Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Kikesell, of Fredonia.
Elsie Turner*, four years of age, has entered the family of T. R. Minton, of this city.
Sadie Smith, thirteen, was taken by Carl Charlen, of this city.
Edwin Smith, age fifteen, is under the care of Frank C. Monroe of Fredonia.
Peter Conklin, eleven, is with Clyde Taylor of Fredonia.
Raymond Conklin, aged seven, is being cared for by Cal M. Nabour, who lives near Elk City.
Paul Richards, twelve, is with W.A. Wheeler of Fredonia.
Herbert Vaufe, twelve, is with J.W. Browning of Neodesha.
Mary Turner, four years of age, is with the family of Jerry Myers.Two other children, Elsie Turner*, four, and Evelyn Holbrook, fifteen, are as yet unplaced. Persons interested may see Miss Hill who is in charge of the party, at the Loether. *This may be the same child as the name and age are the same. She may have been originally taken by a family and soon returned to the Society.
Little Helen Irene Leschander, aged four years, one of the orphans brought to Fredonia last week by the Children's Aid Society of New York died at the Loether hotel yesterday morning, after a few days illness, acute laryngitis being the contributing cause of the child's death. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon, Rev. John Carretson of the Presbyterian Church officiating.
The little girl, was an unusually bright and beautiful child and had she lived she would have been adopted by Mr. & Mrs. J.J. Piepmeyer, who have been greatly interested in the little girl since the party arrived in Fredonia.
Timeline of the Orphan Trains
The Orphan Train movement began in New York City in 1856; the first orphan train arrived in Kansas in 1867. By 1893 nearly 1,000 orphaned children had been relocated to Kansas. The Kansas legislature declared, in 1901, that the State Board of Charities had authority to scrutinize all organizations or institutions placing children. The Board immediately ruled that no homeless children could be brought into Kansas without a certificate of good character and a five thousand dollar security bond.
"We cannot afford to have the State made a dumping ground for the dependent children of other states, especially New York." - William Stanley, Governor of Kansas
In spite of legislation in place that would seem to slow down the rail transport of homeless children to Kansas via Orphan Trains, the children continued to arrive. By 1910, over 4,000 children had been relocated to the State.
By 1927, there was much concern against "indenture" however, Kansas still allowed the practice for children who were turned over to county authorities and poor farms.
The last Orphan Train arrived in Kansas sometime in 1930.
As The Orphan Trains (PBS - WGBH TV) so poignantly reveals, even those for whom the journey ultimately was a triumph found the transition from one life to another almost always painful and confusing. "I would give a hundred worlds like this," wrote one child from her new comfortable home, "if I could see my mother."
From The Cawker City Ledger, Mitchell County, Kansas ~ April 14, 1889
One of the most interesting events that has recently occurred in Cawker was the distribution of boys from New York City last Saturday.
As previously announced, Mr. Charles Fry, Children's Aid Society, of New York, was to arrive on Friday night with a company of boys for the purpose of finding homes and employment with farmers and others. Early in the evening a telegram was received stating that sixteen boys would arrive on the train which was an hour late.
The Young Ladies' Aid society holding a social at the time in the Hall, decided to wait and welcome the new immigrants, who upon their arrival were escorted to the Hall and given a supper. They were then quartered at the hotels under the care of the agent and his assistant, Mr. Rudolph Heig.
The committee previously selected to receive names of applicants for boys reported about thirty names, and the distribution under the management of Mr. Fry, the agent of the society, began on Saturday morning at ten o'clock. The Hall was crowded by the curious sight-seers and applicants for boys. The boys were seated on the stage facing the audience and presented altogether a different appearance from the ideas formed of them by some.
They were an intelligent lot of little fellows and neatly clad, the most of them having been in the society's Home four or five years, and have had good training and discipline. All but two can read and write, one of the exceptions being between three and four years old, the ages of the party ranging up to seventeen years.
The good humor of the audience was evoked by the chubby baby's comical and pleased expression. This little orphan fell to the lot of Mr. and Mrs. Chas D. Brown, and quite a scene was enacted on the stage when their selection was made and the little one threw his arms around the neck of his adopted mother. "His lines are fallen in pleasant places."
The mode of distribution was for the Agent to call the name of an applicant and let him select his boy after talking to him and learning his wishes. Where two applicants wanted the same boy the choice of guardian was made by the boy himself. Those who have taken the younger boys are expected to treat them as their own in the matter of schooling and providing for them; the eldest boys are to remain one year and are then expected to decide for themselves. The boys and one girl were distributed as follows:
Willie Bailey, 12 yrs old, to L.A. Rees
Willie Howard, 12 yrs old, to Daniel Shook
Jas K.P. Smith, 12 yrs old, to W.H. McClaskey
Eddie Bean, 12 yrs old, to H.M. Reynolds
Chas Sommers, 12 yrs old, to Jas M. Doak
Chas Martin, 12 yrs old, to A. Grimes
Wm VanWoessell, 10 yrs old, to Wilson Moore
Andrew Tarbitt, 10 yrs old, to J.A. Hazeltine
George Fox, 12 yrs old, to Mrs. E. Bowman
Robert Chadwick, 12 yrs old, to Chas E. Bishop
Joseph Gathier, 17 yrs old, to Wm F. Donaldson
Richard M. Brown, 16 yrs old, to C.H. Hawkins
James Freeman, 4 yrs old, to Chas D. Brown
Robert Duval, 16 yrs old, to Thos Shaw
Thomas Pugh, 16 yrs old, to Gordon Kerr
Mary Chadwick, (no age), to Mrs. L.M. LeggettSince the distribution as above, there have been two changes. It is the desire of the Society's agent, as well as the local committee who assisted, that if further changes are necessary, the committee be advised so that the boys can be cared for. The committee endeavored to do the best for the welfare of the boys, and there being nearly double the number of applicants as there were boys, there must of necessity be some disappointment by many who would have given good homes to the little fellows. It was noticeable that the audience took great interest in the boys being provided with proper homes. Any information, or correspondence in regard to the boys will be given attention to at this office.
From the Star-Courier, Columbus, Kansas, June 21, 1894
As was announced in last week's papers, eighteen orphan children from New York City arrived in Columbus on the five o'clock train Friday morning. They were in care of Messrs. King, Tice, and Mrs. Elston. After bathing and breakfast at the Middaugh hotel, the little ones were as wide awake and bright as if they had not traveled nearly 2,000 miles to find homes in the West.
At an early hour many of the kind hearted citizens of Columbus and Cherokee County, thronged the office and halls of the hotel to see the children and to choose from them such as they desired. Every mothers' heart was touched at the sight of the little ones as at nine o'clock they were led onto the stage at the opera house. There was the chubby, dimpled baby, at once "Monarch of all he surveyed", the little boy still in kilt skirt, his brother in the proud triumphal period of his first pants - all unconscious of how much this occasion meant for them; there were the restless, typical boys of the period, and the older and thoughtful who were evidently pondering these things.
It was a beautiful tribute to kindred love when little brothers tenderly said "good bye", and two little brothers (mere babies) positively refusing to be separated, one kind hearted man took them both. One could not look upon scenes like that and not have his faith in humanity strengthened. There were more demands for children than the supply. Some ladies even came in the afternoon, hoping that some child might be left; but they were all taken before leaving the opera house.
We append the names of the children and their kind benefactors:
Willie Vancura, age 6, with S.W. Alcenz, Neutral.
Joseph Vancura, age 13, with Thomas Haines, country.
Anna Vancura, age 11, with Casper Christienson [correct spelling Caspar Christiansen], country.
Joseph Fertig, age 10, with Wm. McMillen, Tehama, P.O.
John Fertig, age 13, with C.W. Willey, Tehama, P.O.
Edward Burns, age 17, with H.P. Adams, country.
Jacob Leperdoff, age 15, with Jacob Stebbins, country.
Thomas Finn, age 16, with C.D. Arehart, Baxter Springs.
Thomas Smith, age 15, with Mayor Wiswell, Columbus.
Harold Walker, age 2, with Dr. Scammon, Columbus.
Elmer Davis, age 6, with Reuben W. Hefflin, Columbus.
Clarence Brown, age 4, and Matthew Brown, age 7, with J.W. Goul, Cherokee.
John Kline, age 8, with Mrs. Nancy Dagger, Weir City.
Charles Custed, age 7, with Mr. S.O. Goodrich, Columbus.
Scott Mosher, age 9, with Mrs. William Taylor, Columbus.
Frank Mosher, age 11, with Mrs. Ed Scammon, Miami.
Willie Mangan, age 17, with R.L. Risbow, Columbus.From The Jefferson County Tribune, January 12, 1911
Fourteen little folks from the orphanages of New York city arrived at Oskaloosa Thursday and will be placed in homes in and around Oskaloosa. The children are in charge of Rev. J.W. Swan of Clinton, Mo. state agent for the society for Missouri, and Miss Hill and Miss Peterson of New York.
The meeting will be held at the opera house at 11 o'clock this morning. In the party are 5 girls and 9 boys, ranging in age from 2 to 13 years. They are well behaved and look very clean and very decent.
Adoption is not demanded. They are placed in homes under contract and are visited twice in the first year and once each year thereafter, the party receiving them being required to make annual report. Should the child prove unsatisfactory it will be taken back by the society. "We only have about 10 percent returned to the society." said Rev. Swan. Eighty-seven per cent of the children we place do well and grow up to be useful men and women.
Most of these children are of German decent, but all are American born. We have one Dutchman with us. He is Sammy, 5 years old, and speaks German very fluently."
The agents of the society will be at Oskaloosa a week and after the children are placed they will visit them in the homes they go to. If there is any chance that the person taking a child is not satisfied, it will be removed at that time, as the society desires that the person taking the child have a few days to decide the matter finally.
From the Oskaloose Independent, January 13, 1910
Agents of a Children's Aid society have 15 children from orphanages of New York state here for distribution this afternoon and evening, after the manner of the last distribution at Valley Falls. The local committee is composed of Drs. McCreight and Smith, D.A. Bliss, W.E. Huddleston, C.N. Jacquemin, S.E. True, H.H. Morrow.
From The Wilson County Citizen, Wilson County, Kansas, June 2, 1916
The Children's Aid Society of New York brought fifteen children to Fredonia Friday under the care of Miss Anna Hill, and a number of the youngsters have already been given homes by people in the county. Each family which took a child cannot adopt the little person for at least a year, and at no time is adoption required, the children being removed upon notification of the family given to the society. Occasionally a representative of the society will visit the section to see that the youngsters are being treated properly.
Blanche Clymer, aged six has been taken by L. A. Snyder, of Fredonia. Edna Finly, two and one half years of age, has been given a home by Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Kikesell, of Fredonia.
Elsie Turner*, four years of age, has entered the family of T. R. Minton, of this city.
Sadie Smith, thirteen, was taken by Carl Charlen, of this city.
Edwin Smith, age fifteen, is under the care of Frank C. Monroe of Fredonia.
Peter Conklin, eleven, is with Clyde Taylor of Fredonia.
Raymond Conklin, aged seven, is being cared for by Cal M. Nabour, who lives near Elk City.
Paul Richards, twelve, is with W.A. Wheeler of Fredonia.
Herbert Vaufe, twelve, is with J.W. Browning of Neodesha.
Mary Turner, four years of age, is with the family of Jerry Myers.Two other children, Elsie Turner*, four, and Evelyn Holbrook, fifteen, are as yet unplaced. Persons interested may see Miss Hill who is in charge of the party, at the Loether. *This may be the same child as the name and age are the same. She may have been originally taken by a family and soon returned to the Society.
Little Helen Irene Leschander, aged four years, one of the orphans brought to Fredonia last week by the Children's Aid Society of New York died at the Loether hotel yesterday morning, after a few days illness, acute laryngitis being the contributing cause of the child's death. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon, Rev. John Carretson of the Presbyterian Church officiating.
The little girl, was an unusually bright and beautiful child and had she lived she would have been adopted by Mr. & Mrs. J.J. Piepmeyer, who have been greatly interested in the little girl since the party arrived in Fredonia.
Timeline of the Orphan Trains
The Orphan Train movement began in New York City in 1856; the first orphan train arrived in Kansas in 1867. By 1893 nearly 1,000 orphaned children had been relocated to Kansas. The Kansas legislature declared, in 1901, that the State Board of Charities had authority to scrutinize all organizations or institutions placing children. The Board immediately ruled that no homeless children could be brought into Kansas without a certificate of good character and a five thousand dollar security bond.
"We cannot afford to have the State made a dumping ground for the dependent children of other states, especially New York." - William Stanley, Governor of Kansas
In spite of legislation in place that would seem to slow down the rail transport of homeless children to Kansas via Orphan Trains, the children continued to arrive. By 1910, over 4,000 children had been relocated to the State.
By 1927, there was much concern against "indenture" however, Kansas still allowed the practice for children who were turned over to county authorities and poor farms.
The last Orphan Train arrived in Kansas sometime in 1930.
Return to The Adoption Experience Home Page
A fee of as much as $10,000 and in many cases much less, would guarantee delivery of a baby. It didn't matter who you were; no background checks were made and records were often falisfied.
Some maternity homes operated above board, giving good care to the mothers and placing their babies in good homes. Others were no more than extremely profitable baby brokers.
Over-crowding in orphanages in the east lead to the transport of hundreds of children to the midwest. Most never saw their parents again.
You can read about these trains and the agencies who provided the young travelers who rode them, carrying few belongings and not knowing where they would end up.
Registration Day (Reg Day) happens once each year; it's purpose is to encourage and support. Any birth family member or adoptee can register at ISRR.net for free.
There are many search angels. Some work entirely for free, some work on a no find-no fee basis and others charge very reasonable rates. This page coming soon.
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