Forgotten in America: Personal Tales of the Orphan Train Riders

Today Sunday, April 9, Charlotte Endorf of Norfolk will be at Columbus Public Library for a super Book Event! Charlotte and her husband, Kevin, along with their children, Sarah, 16, and Spencer, 13, will dress in period clothes and perform a short Orphan Train presentation. The Book Event starts at 2:00pm, with performances at 2:15pm and 3:15pm.

In 2004, Endorf began documenting the real-life stories of the children who rode the Orphan Trains between the years 1854 to 1929. She traveled over 3,000 miles, seeking the last surviving riders and descendents, and created Plains Bound: Fragile Cargo, a book that brings to light an important chapter in America’s history.

The Orphan Trains came about as a result of the great immigration to America in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It was a time when thousands of families living in the large Eastern cities found themselves living in abject poverty and wretched conditions. The streets were filled with homeless and neglected children who became victims of hunger, disease, or crime.

As the orphanages filled to capacity, charitable organizations such as the Children’s Aid Society placed children on trains headed West. It was hoped that the children would find loving homes and better living conditions. As the trains made their stops, the children were lined up on courthouse lawns to be examined by prospective families. Their teeth and limbs were inspected to make sure they were strong enough for work. In a seventy-five year span, approximately 250,000 children were “placed out.”

In Plains Bound: Fragile Cargo, author Endorf interviewed a dozen families, which resulted in twenty-seven personal stories, including one of a man who describes his travails as a child through poetry:

      “Their eyes were filled with bitter tears.
       Their hearts were filled with pain,
       But they were the lucky ones;
       They rode the Orphan Train.”
One of the stories in the book is about Columbus resident, Lela Newcombe. At 91 years young, we’re hoping Lela will be able to attend the Event.

Plains Bound: Fragile Cargo is a book of powerful and heartfelt recollections. It contains more than 100 photos and illustrations. Charlotte’s teenage daughter, Sarah M. Endorf, who has been struggling to overcome borreliosis (Lyme disease), provided the illustrations.

Praise for Plains Bound: Fragile Cargo –
“Charlotte Endorf has captured the essence of the powerful ‘can do’ spirit of Orphan Train riders—true survivors in every sense of the word. Readers for years to come will enjoy and learn from her work.”

Mary Ellen Johnson, Founder of the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America


I feel very fortunate that Columbus Public Library can sponsor this very worthwhile event. Please come and meet the Endorf family, our own Orphan Train rider, Lela Newcombe, and spend an enjoyable afternoon at the Library.

Don’t forget our next “One Book—One Columbus” community wide book discussion is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26th, 2006. Our discussions and workshops have been tremendously successful. There are just two ---possibly three--- gatherings yet to come. Don’t miss the opportunity to read a good book and discuss it with fellow Columbus residents.