Orphan Trains Bring Children to Midwestern Communities

A majority of the children who were resettled during the Orphan Train movement went to the Midwest. Some children were placed in homes on the Eastern Seaboard and others in the South and West. It is estimated that between six and ten thousand children were settled in Iowa, with many Midwestern states taking similar amounts. This segment from the West by Orphan Train documentary includes archival photography, historical re-enactments, and an interview with Amanda Wahlmeier, former Curator at the National Orphan Train Complex.

The West by Orphan Train documentary was produced by Colleen Bradford Krantz and Clark Kidder.
© 2014 Colleen Bradford Krantz and Clark Kidder

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