The Orphan Train isn't talked about in schools, so unless you have a relative that was a part of it, many Louisianans have never heard of this unique time in American History. From 1854-1929, New York was experiencing a massive surge in child homelessness, with over 250,000 abandoned or orphan children living in the streets. Over the years, they were put on trains and sent to homes across the nation, and the Orphan Train Museum in Louisiana preserves their stories.
The Orphan Train Movement began in 1853 when a solution was needed for the tens of thousands of abandoned and orphaned children that were living on the streets of New York.
Many of the children’s parents had passed away from an influenza outbreak. Between 1854-1929, there were more than 250,000 homeless or abandoned children on the streets of New York.
The two organizations that helped with the logistics of transporting so many children to new homes were the New York Foundling & Orphan Asylum and The Children’s Aid Society.
They enlisted the help of Catholic priests from all across the country to spread the word that these children needed homes, asking members of the community to open their homes to these children. This ended up being the early stages for the American foster system, though no one knew it at the time. Back then, New York was dealing with thousands of homeless children and knew they deserved a better life.
The orphan train made stops in Lafayette, New Orleans, and Opelousas.
The train also made stops all across the country, but we're just focusing on Louisiana. Louisiana gave new homes to over 2,000 children during this time. The last orphan train ride to Louisiana was in 1929, and by that time the states had begun to develop their own systems, which would grow to become the foster care system.
Even though tens of thousands of children were placed in homes across the county, this is only one of two museums in the country.
The other is the National Orphan Train Complex in Kansas. Today, visitors to the museum can see photos, read first-hand descriptions of the process, learn about some of the kids, and more.
Pictured below is Alice Kearns Bernard, the last remaining orphan train rider, who passed away in 2015.
Here she is holding the outfit she wore on the train, and it’s now in the museum with many other articles of clothing from other orphans.
The museum is part of a larger village with many historic buildings that you can walk into and learn about the history of Opelousas.
It's a great way to make this a full-day adventure, since the museum itself won't take but an hour or two to properly tour.
Visit the website to learn more and start making plans to visit this hidden gem. While you're in Opelousas, be sure to stick around for a while and explore the town. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Opelousas to get you started.
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