Emily's Story: The Brave Journey of an Orphan Train Rider

by Clark Kidder

It seems incomprehensible that there was a time in America s not-so-distant past that nearly 200,000 children could be loaded on trains in large cities on our East Coast, sent to the rural Midwest, and presented for the picking to anyone who expressed an interest in them. That s exactly what happened between the years 1854 and 1930. The primitive social experiment became known as placing out, and had its origins in a New York City organization founded by Charles Loring Brace called the Children s Aid Society. The Society gathered up orphans, half-orphans, and abandoned children from streets and orphanages, and placed them on what are now referred to as Orphan Trains. It was Brace s belief that there was always room for one more at a farmer s table. The stories of the individual children involved in this great migration of little emigrants have nearly all been lost in the attic of American history. In this book, the author tells the true story of his paternal grandmother, the late Emily (Reese) Kidder, who, at the tender age of fourteen, became one of the aforementioned children who rode an Orphan Train. In 1906, Emily was plucked from the Elizabeth Home for Girls, operated by the Children s Aid Society, and placed on a train, along with eight other children, bound for Hopkinton, Iowa. Emily s journey, as it turned out, was only just beginning. Life had many lessons in store for her lessons that would involve overcoming adversity, of perseverance, love, and great loss. Emily's story is told through the use of primary material, oral history, interviews, and historical photographs. It is a tribute to the human spirit of an extraordinary young girl who became a woman a woman to whom the heartfelt phrase there s no place like home, had a very profound meaning.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2007

About the author

Clark Kidder resides in southern Wisconsin. He is a freelance writer for International publications, and has authored several books, including Orphan Trains and Their Precious Cargo (1st Ed. Heritage Books, Inc., 2001; 2nd Ed. Createspace, 2017); A Genealogy of the Wood Family (Family Tree Publishers, 2003, and Higginson Book Company, 2007); A Genealogy of the Butts/Butz Family (Higginson Book Company, 2007), Emily’s Story: The Brave Journey of an Orphan Train Rider (2007), and A History of the Rural Schools of Rock County, Wisconsin (6 volumes), 2014. His magazine articles have appeared in History Magazine, the Wisconsin Magazine of History, Family Tree Magazine, Fancy Fowl (in England), Avicultura (in Holland), and Poultry Press.

Reviews

[Sarah Urban]

Emily's Story was one of the first books I bought for my Kindle. The author is a friend of a friend and while at dinner one night we started discussing his book. I had always been interested in the story of the orphan trains and his book did not disappoint. It was a fascinating and pivotal turn in American history and to hear the personal experiences of one of the orphans made it much more real.

[Holly J Nelson]

An in-depth and intriguing look at the orphan trains that ran in the US during the later 19th and early 20th century. Even better was the local story of the author’s grandma and what she experienced as a train rider and a placement in four different homes before the age of 14. I learned a lot about why these kids were on the trains (it wasn’t always because they were orphans!) and the photos were an amazing add to the story.

[Vanessa]

Fascinating history and touching story. I felt the value of learning of Emily and Earl’s life from a Birds Eye view-getting the big picture. It was beautiful to learn from the elderly and from generations past.

[Donna Wall]

FACTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Excellent book of facts a bout the Orphan Trains. Wonderful research applied. Like history, genealogy, biographies & amazing stories? Read this.

[Cheryl]

The author researches his grandmother’s journey from NYC to the Orphan Train to Iowa/Wisconsin. Halfway through the book it said "next home would be 6th or 7th home in 5 years in four states." She was still to be abandoned by another family and struggle with nurses' training costs. Returning to the little town she had lived in most recently, Earl said “Well, guess only thing to do would be to marry ya.” … “Oh, will ya? will ya? They were married 74 years! She never found the brother who was placed the same time she was. She did finally know about her father's death and met other siblings.

[Amy]

This book tells the story of the author's great-grandmother's trek from New York to the Midwest via the orphan trains of the 1900s. How fascinating (and frightening) to think we just put orphans on trains and let whoever wanted them take them a mere 100 or so years ago! The author includes several facts and photos about these trains, as well as letters and documents from other train riders. This was a quick read, but definitely worth it. I loved the stories the author shared of Emily's life as an adult- very endearing and heart warming!

[Brenda Klaassen]

I read this book for an in-person discussion. I have an interest in the "Orphan Train" history in our country. The author did a good job presenting the hardships Emily faced without depressing the reader. By reading the staggering numbers of children that became orphans, I had to stop and thanks God that I have always had my family. In my head I cheered to find out that Emily was able to make a family-life here in Iowa. Again the author did a great job presenting the facts without overwhelming the reader.

[Janet]

Wonderful, heartfelt story of the author's grandmother.