The above photo shows that a quarter million children rode the orphan trains from 1854 to 1929. photo credit: Kansas State Historical Society
JAMES SINCLAIR
James' mother carried a disease call tuberculosis. James' father was trying to take good care of James while his mom had tuberculosis. James' dad got hurt while working on the dock in New York City later that year. James' dad lost his job and didn't have any money to buy food or pay rent on their room.
Nancy King
It was in March 1910 that I first noticed the poster at the general store.It announced that families were needed to care for orphan children from New York. I told my husband,George,about the poster.I asked him what he thought about us taking in an orphan.What happened next was just terrible for a farmer.Before breakfast, Peter slipped out and went to the chicken cages. He let the chicks out before the dew dried and all the chicks died. We sent Peter back.
Anna Lane
Anna Lane was a social worker for the Children's Aid Society in 1900 and had worked with the organization for ten years. A social worker is a person that takes care of people to get homes to make there lives better.During that time of the orphan trains, many homeless children roamed and slept on streets of New York City. She rode the trains with the oprhans to help find them homes.
Shae's Perspective
I think it was very interesting about the orphan trains. If I was an orphan on the orphan train I would be sad because you have to ride the train to find a new home. It would be frightening to be given to a new family because you don't know what they will do to you. I would rather stay with my regular family.
Kaiden's Perspective
James found a family and if that was me I would be happy that I was put with a family now. I would make my new family breakfast in bed, and I would make them happy. I would probably ask Mr. King if I could play baseball with him. I would help Mr. King with all of his work.
Cornell's Perpective
It was a good book. I would be sad if my parents passed away and my family was separated. It would be sad to be an orphan because we'd have to be on a train. Maybe if no one adopted us, people would make us do the farm work and I don't like farm work. We would have to wear farm clothes and work in the sun all day.