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Orphan Trains
Feb. 15th, 2011 05:58 pmAt the time I began trying to find Happy Heim for my uncle, I had already seen PBS' American Experience documentary called The Orphan Trains.
At the time I watched the PBS broadcast, I wondered if I would ever encounter someone in my family tree who rode an Orphan Train.
Now, I'm waiting to see who the next one will be.
There's a lot of information on the internet about Orphan Trains. Personally, from my own research, I think the Wiki article is the least accurate, because Arkansas is hardly the midwest United States.
The National Orphan Train Complex is an excellent resource.
Happy Heim rode an Orphan Train to Arkansas in 1904.
But the trains kept coming to Arkansas, even as late as 1912.
In a series of news articles in 1912 issues of the Springdale News, outreach was conducted to get families to show up and meet the trains.
Friday, February 9, 1912...
Homes for nine orphan children brought to Rogers Friday by agents of the Childrens Aid Society of New York were found so quickly and there were so many applicants disappointed that another company of the little folks was arranged for by telegram that night and will arrive here by next Friday...Hundreds of people visited the hotel during the morning to see the children who stood the embarrassing ordeal much better than could be expected...
I've seen quite a few statements on the internet that say it's largely a myth that siblings were split up.
But that's not what shows up in the Springdale News.
From that same February 9 issue...
...[T]he children were placed as follows:
Agnes Margurite Kamm, 12 years - Mrs. and Mrs. E W Homan.
Marion Haines, 9 years - Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Puckett.
Margaret Haines, 7 years - Mr. and Mrs. J S Elder.
Wilbur Pruden, 10 and Marion Pruden, 9 - R H Thomas and wife on White River at Eden's Bluff.
Chester and Emmett Pruden, twins, 4 years - C P Hummell and wife, of Monte Ne.
Walter Bewley, 9 years and Frank Bewley, 8 years - J W Clack and wife, north of Rogers on Elk Horn Poultry Ranch.
This one just broke my heart...
Springdale News, Friday 7 Jun 1912...
The children brought to Springdale were placed as follows:
Madilene Mischlen, 12 years old, H Quandt, city.
Elizabeth Mischlen, 11 years old, J B Stokes, souhtwest (sic) of town.
Barbara Mischlen, 10 years old, J A Joyce, city.
Adam Mischlen, 7 years old, J L Davis, Wheeler.
John Mischlen, 5 years old, Ed Brant, souhtwest (sic) of town.
George Schlesser, 5 years old, John Anderson, city.
Joseph Marr, 17 months old, Rev. A L Cline, city.
Margaret Lovas, 8 years old, W H Kelso, city.
Henry Knuth, 15 years old, Ed Brant, southwest of town.
Addie Knuth, 11 years old, H P Church, northwest of town.
Roy Knuth, 9 years old, J R Langridge, Spring Valley.
Charles Salverson, 13 years old, Carrie Salverson, 8 years old, J P Moore, Springdale.
I wondered why Mr. Ed Brant didn't take siblings for his two choices.
And then I wondered if Happy Heim lost one or more siblings with his "placement."
Other resources for information about Orphan Trains, including stories of and information about the children who rode the trains:
Nebraska's website
Kansas' website
Missouri's website
Wisconsin's GenWeb Orphan Train website
The Adoption History Project
The Children's Aid Society
At the time I watched the PBS broadcast, I wondered if I would ever encounter someone in my family tree who rode an Orphan Train.
Now, I'm waiting to see who the next one will be.
There's a lot of information on the internet about Orphan Trains. Personally, from my own research, I think the Wiki article is the least accurate, because Arkansas is hardly the midwest United States.
The National Orphan Train Complex is an excellent resource.
Happy Heim rode an Orphan Train to Arkansas in 1904.
But the trains kept coming to Arkansas, even as late as 1912.
In a series of news articles in 1912 issues of the Springdale News, outreach was conducted to get families to show up and meet the trains.
Friday, February 9, 1912...
Homes for nine orphan children brought to Rogers Friday by agents of the Childrens Aid Society of New York were found so quickly and there were so many applicants disappointed that another company of the little folks was arranged for by telegram that night and will arrive here by next Friday...Hundreds of people visited the hotel during the morning to see the children who stood the embarrassing ordeal much better than could be expected...
I've seen quite a few statements on the internet that say it's largely a myth that siblings were split up.
But that's not what shows up in the Springdale News.
From that same February 9 issue...
...[T]he children were placed as follows:
Agnes Margurite Kamm, 12 years - Mrs. and Mrs. E W Homan.
Marion Haines, 9 years - Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Puckett.
Margaret Haines, 7 years - Mr. and Mrs. J S Elder.
Wilbur Pruden, 10 and Marion Pruden, 9 - R H Thomas and wife on White River at Eden's Bluff.
Chester and Emmett Pruden, twins, 4 years - C P Hummell and wife, of Monte Ne.
Walter Bewley, 9 years and Frank Bewley, 8 years - J W Clack and wife, north of Rogers on Elk Horn Poultry Ranch.
This one just broke my heart...
Springdale News, Friday 7 Jun 1912...
The children brought to Springdale were placed as follows:
Madilene Mischlen, 12 years old, H Quandt, city.
Elizabeth Mischlen, 11 years old, J B Stokes, souhtwest (sic) of town.
Barbara Mischlen, 10 years old, J A Joyce, city.
Adam Mischlen, 7 years old, J L Davis, Wheeler.
John Mischlen, 5 years old, Ed Brant, souhtwest (sic) of town.
George Schlesser, 5 years old, John Anderson, city.
Joseph Marr, 17 months old, Rev. A L Cline, city.
Margaret Lovas, 8 years old, W H Kelso, city.
Henry Knuth, 15 years old, Ed Brant, southwest of town.
Addie Knuth, 11 years old, H P Church, northwest of town.
Roy Knuth, 9 years old, J R Langridge, Spring Valley.
Charles Salverson, 13 years old, Carrie Salverson, 8 years old, J P Moore, Springdale.
I wondered why Mr. Ed Brant didn't take siblings for his two choices.
And then I wondered if Happy Heim lost one or more siblings with his "placement."
Other resources for information about Orphan Trains, including stories of and information about the children who rode the trains:
Nebraska's website
Kansas' website
Missouri's website
Wisconsin's GenWeb Orphan Train website
The Adoption History Project
The Children's Aid Society
