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HAMILTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Museum - Open Friday and Saturday
12pm to 5pm
Orphan Train Movement
When: Sunday, March 9, 2025 – 2:00pm-4:00pm
Where: Hamilton County Library – East, 2nd Floor. 1 Library Plaza, Noblesville, IN 46060
After watching author Michael T. Keene's video, David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian, will discuss the Orphan Train Movement and the 28 orphans who found families here in Noblesville.
The Orphan Train was a social experiment in the United States that took place between 1854 and 1929. It was a program designed to relocate orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children from overcrowded cities—mainly New York City—to rural areas across the country, particularly the Midwest.​
How It Worked
​The program was organized by charitable institutions like the Children’s Aid Society (founded by Charles Loring Brace) and the New York Foundling Hospital. These organizations believed that placing children with farm families would provide them with a better life than they had in the streets or orphanages.
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Trains carrying groups of children, sometimes dozens or even hundreds at a time, would travel to small towns.
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At each stop, children were presented for adoption or fostering. Sometimes, families had pre-arranged requests, while other times, children were selected on the spot—often based on their appearance or perceived usefulness (e.g., older boys were seen as farm laborers, girls as household helpers).
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Some children found loving homes, but others faced exploitation, neglect, or abuse.
Impact & Legacy
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Over 200,000 children were relocated through this program.
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The movement helped lay the groundwork for modern foster care and child welfare laws.
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However, it was controversial, as children were often placed with little oversight, and many lost connection to their birth families.The Orphan Train movement ended in 1929 when formalized adoption and foster care systems began taking shape in the U.S. Today, there are museums and historical societies dedicated to preserving the stories of Orphan Train riders.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The trial of DC Stepheson took place in Hamilton County Indiana 100 years ago. This was one of the most significant legal trials in our county’s history. DC. Stephenson felt he was above all laws due to his leadership of the Klan in Indiana and the support of many politicians. He was charged with rape and murder of Marge Oberholtzer and it was her detailed testimony before her death that was instrumental in the outcome of the trial. We acknowledge that at the time of the trial, there was significant local support for the KKK, but when justice was in the balance 12 men found Stephenson guilty ushering in the collapse of the KKK. The Hamilton County Historical Society and many other organizations are providing educational programs for our current citizens; providing educational programs not to celebrate but to examine a difficult history and reflect on how far we have come in the last century and how much further we still need to go. Hamilton County
Here is the link to David's standalone program in May: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1145775237579?aff=oddtdtcreator
*The Hamilton County Historical Society condemns the actions and beliefs of the KKK. One hundred years ago, a trial took place on our grounds, and thanks to the citizens of Hamilton County, a horrific hate organization was dismantled and lost its grip on Indiana. We are providing spaces for our current citizens not to celebrate, but to examine a difficult history and reflect on how far we have come in the last century and how much further we still need to go. We are working with the Current and asking them to correct this and future stories on this subject.
