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homes in the West and Northwest. The first trains going west were carrying children in bands of 50 accompanied by 2 Sisters. They went to Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, and California.^
Contact and supervision of the children was maintained by the Sisters on subsequent trips, and by local priest and prominent citizens.^1 An Indenture system was used to "place" the children in homes who wanted to adopt. The children were to be check on and after a time some children were legally adopted.^
August 17, 1896 Sister Irene died. But the work of the Foundling Hospital continues today.6
The New York Children's Aid Society, founded in 1853 by Charles Loring Brace, a young minister, implemented a method of taking groups of waifs from N.Y. City, escorted by "agents" aboard trains to rural America. "Send them west to a Christian home, clean air, a good environment and schooling" he said.
Despite popular belief, the CAS did not oprate any orphanages.
They had temporary homes where children were kept for a short time before being put on a train. They accepted children from all orphanages.
The Children's Aid Society was the first and largest of the "placing out" programs by Orphan Trains. 7
The Society today is housed on E. 45th St., N.Y.. It has a tremendous amount of original records and documents concerning it's "placing out" program. The heart of this historical collection is some 50 ledger books used to record personal information about children from 1853 to 1900. M’ter 1900, file folders replace ledgers until the end- late 1920's. *8
In addition to ledger books the CAS has "Surrender1-Books" containing "surrender forms" signed by birth parents or surviving parent.
These statements often contain information as to why the child was being given up.	$
There are gaps in the records due to a water pipe break in the basement. Fortunately the water soaked books were freeze dried to reduce the damage but ink had already "run" on some. The records now are stored in a locked closet on an upper floor, temperature is kept at a normal level and no sunlight reaches the material. N.Y.library has plans to put "t he records on microfilm. These records are indexed by last name and year. S