Who Rode the Orphan Train?

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Between 1854 and 1929 over 250,000 orphans and unwanted children were taken out of New York City and given away at train stations across America. This nearly eighty year experiment in child migration is filled with horror stories and happy endings. The trains stopped in pre-selected towns where people interested in taking a child would assemble. Children not chosen were put back on the train and many were shuttled from family to family and town to town. Until the release of a 1993 documentary on PBS’s The American Experience, these children’s stories were largely untold.

The 2016 McFaddin-Ward House Lecture Series proudly presents Phil Lancaster, musician/presenter of “Riders of the Orphan Train”, the official outreach program for the National Orphan Train Complex. Please join us at 6:30 p.m. March 3 as Mr. Lancaster brings this subject to public awareness through artistic performance and extends what has become a personal passion to touch people concerned about this profound human experience.

As always, there is no cost for our reception and presentation which will be held at the McFaddin-Ward House Visitor Center, 1906 Calder, Beaumont. The public is invited to attend.