What is the Orphan Train?
The preferred method to transport these orphans was the newly constructed railroad system. The railroads provided the cheapest and most efficient way to ferry the children to their prospective families all across the United States. Because of this, the movement was termed the “orphan train,” which is something of a misnomer as many of the children were not orphans. The children would ride the trains, accompanied by an agent whose job was to look out for their welfare and place them in decent homes. The orphan train would make scheduled stops, and the children would be led off the train and inspected by their prospective families. It was impossible to tell whether the children of the orphan train were indeed treated by the terms of the contract that was required for adoption. This was especially true as the children were often placed very far from the sponsoring organization. While many of the orphan train children were given wonderful homes, cases of neglect and abuse were still presen
