Riders on the Orphan Train - Child Emigrants to New Mexico
is coming to the Capitan Public Library for the First Friday Program on
March 3 at 7 pm. Funded by the New Mexico Humanities Council, this program
is the official touring outreach program from The National Orphan Train Complex
Museum and Research Center in Concordia, Kansas.
The subject of the Orphan Trains is an eleventh hour situation as the last few survivors
of the 250,000 orphans and unwanted children that were “placed out” are now reaching
the end of their lives. Of particular interest to the New Mexico audience will be the
discovery of the part this state played in the “placing out” movement. In 1904, several
children came to Clayton and Des Moines from the New York Foundling Hospital and
additional placements occurred in San Jon soon after. We are hoping to discover new
stories of Riders who came to New Mexico and want to especially invite any
descendants to the presentation to share family stories.
This historical presentation is designed to inform, entertain, and move audiences of all origins and ages. It combines storytelling, music, video with archival photographs and contemporary interviews of survivors, and informal discussion with a question and answer period to bring awareness about this little-known chapter of the largest child
migration in history.
In 1853, Methodist minister Charles Loring Brace was shocked at the number
of homeless children he found in the streets of New York. He founded The Children’s
Aid Society that year and between 1854 and 1929 sent out over 250,000 orphans
and “surrendered” children of single parents. These children found homes in every
state in the continental United States.
Beginning in 1863, the Sisters of Charity of the New York Foundling Hospital
also sent out children, specifically to Catholic families that requested them
through their local priest. Until a PBS documentary in 1995, this subject was
largely unknown and is still not included in history books.
This presentation was originally created by novelist/humanities scholar Alison Moore
and musician/ producer Phil Lancaster as an outreach program for the Orphan
Train Heritage Society of America, Inc. The two are now based in Austin, TX,
and have been touring the U.S. since 1998; this is their fourth tour
New Mexico for presentations in museums and libraries.
Alison Moore's historical novel, Riders on the Orphan Train , written with
a fellowship from The National Endowments for the Arts will be
available for purchase at the March 3 presentation.
In 2012, Moore and Lancaster were awarded the Charles Loring
Brace Award for their contributions to raising awareness
about the Orphan Train movement.
After the program, refreshments will be provided.