“Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Orphan Trains” video presentation

“Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Orphan Trains” is a unique online hybrid presentation presented by local history author, Michael Keene. The program explores the audacious relocation scheme which operated between 1854 and 1929, when an estimated 250,000 orphaned or abandoned children were transported west by train and placed in foster homes, mostly in rural mid-western areas, though there were several local placements. The premise now seems incredible, but it developed in response to a crisis in care for homeless children. Their stories are incredibly haunting and poignant.