One of the most fascinating stories in American history is one that very few even know about. From 1854 to 1929, the Orphan Train brought hundreds of thousands of abandoned and orphaned children from east coast cities to the American countryside, including Ottawa and many other cities in the KOFO listening area, in an effort to find them homes.
Newspaper articles from the time describe orphanages at capacity and believing the streets were no place for a desperately poor child, it was believed the orphans and indigent children would have better lives with families in the west instead of institutionalizing them in cities. Other cities in our area include, Fontana, Garnett, Greeley, Lane, Louisburg, Osage City, Osawatomie, Paola, Princeton, and Williamsburg. The Ottawa Library is hosting a traveling exhibit by the National Orphan Train Complex called “ All Aboard the Orphan Train” you can view the exhibit at the Ottawa Library along with an exhibit called “Letters Of An Orphan.” They will be on display starting today and run through December 27th.
