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ORPHAN TRAIN RIDERS
The Orphan Train Heritage Society of America was formed to preserve the history of an era in America from 185^-1929 when some 150,000 homeless children, many of them orphaned, were "placed out".
...The organization was birthed by Mrs. Mary Ellen Johnson of Springdale, Arkansas.While compiling a county history book she learned of the"orphans sent West" and said, "I simply could not believe that nobody knew anything about these events'.' She is now Executive Director of the organization which amounts to a helping husband, 6 file cabinets and a computer in her kitchen. v ^
Mrs. Johnson, 50, a grandmother of 7, organized a reunion of Orphan Train Riders in 1988 at Fayetteville, Arkansas, and 19 riders and 175 relatives came. In October of this year there will be another reunion at Springdale, Arkansas. (If you know of any orphans who would like to attend, there are brochures at the table with information)
In January 1989» Maery Ellen and husband, Leroy, contacted NBC for the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries" for help with finding relatives of Orphan Train riders. From 8 P.M. until 3 A.M. over 150 calls were received. An estimated 425 new contacts were made as a result of this program:	39	were	orphans.^
Today, we are recognizing 6 of those orphans who came to this area; Annie Richtner Adams Graham, Louis Roberts, Willie Adams,
Margaret Oakley Fayard Cuevas, John Damborino, and Thomas Luc.
The first 3 were brought here courtesy of the Children's Aid Society; the last 3 from the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (the N. Y. Foundling Home).
Who was the first adopted child in the world? (Moses)
In I638 St. Vincent de Paul aided b^enerable Louise de Marillac and the Daughters of Charity of Paris, France, opened a"foundling house'.'
In I869 in America, Archbishop McCloskey of the N.Y. Diocese appealed to Mother Jerome, Superioress of the Sisters of Charity to address the care of 10-30,000 orphans in N. Y. City. They appointed Sister Irene for the project.-^
Sister Irene's life is so unusual, you'll want to know about her.