Orphan Train History

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!

2011-09-19T15:02:00.006-04:00

How shameful to log onto my BLOG and see that my last entry was May 7th! Unfortunately, life can sometimes get in the way of the things we really want to be doing and that is the case for me I am afraid. But, with the pieces of my life falling - finally - somewhat into place, I am again focusing on the thing that I love to do most.....spread the word of the Orphan Train Movement to just about anyone who will listen!

I completed the 2010-2011 school year with a wonderful SKYPE AN AUTHOR presentation to the students of John B. Dey Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia and am working to add more SKYPE visits to my school calendar for the new school year. In fact, I just received an email from a teacher on Long Island who will be using my books in her classroom this Fall and is interested in a SKYPE visit once they have finished reading. SKYPE is an amazing way for schools to 1. bring an author into the classroom and 2. save lots of money, which schools have very little of anyway. If you are a Teacher, a Media Specialist, or have children in 3rd-6th grade, spread the word about this great resource and help me bring the history of our OT Riders back into our school curriculum!

School visits as well as presentations through the DE HUMANITIES FORUM are also on my agenda and on October 6th I will be signing books at the SENIOR/BABY BOOMER EXPO at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Towson MD from 3-5 pm. In Novemeber I will be visiting and speaking with the residents of Normandy Estates Retirement Community in Blue Bell, PA. This is another great venue since seniors are almost always interested in history - especially a piece of history they never knew existed.

And my final update for now..... The long awaited opening of the DiMenna Children's History Museum in New York City is nearly here - NOVEMBER 11th! I will keep you posted :)

So, I hope I havent lost too many of you to my long absence.....please stay tuned for what I hope will finally be regular postings.

---- Donna Nordmark Aviles

ADOPTED...INDENTURED...What's the Difference?

2011-05-07T09:29:00.002-04:00

Webster's dictionary defines INDENTURE as "A contract binding one person to work for another." The definition of ADOPTION is "To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child."

When we talk about the Orphan Train Movement of 1854-1929, these two concepts can sometimes become intertwined or even misused. The NY Foundling Home primarily used the Indenture Form when placing their infants and young children with new families throughout the country. While not intending for the Indenture Form to "bind the baby to work for the family", it was indeed a legal document thus giving the Foundling Home the ability to remove a child from their new home should the placement be deemed unsuitable.

This "NOTICE OF ARRIVAL" as it was called, required the receiving husband and wife to sign a "RECEIPT OF CHILD" agreeing to raise them in the Catholic faith, send them to school, and give them all the advantages that would be given a biological child. They were also required to report back to the Sisters of Charity, when requested, with an update of the child's health and well being along with any change of address. They were not, however, legally adopting the child. Receiving parents were given a three year window to decide upon legal adoption however oftentimes this was not enforced.

When we go back and read the definitions again, it is easy to see how these two concepts - indenture and adoption - can be confused when referred to during this time period. The term "indenture" carried with it the negative connotations of slavery which came to an end with the 13th Amendment on Dec. 6, 1965. With the NY Foundling Home opening its doors on October 11, 1869 and sending their first Baby Train to the Midwest in 1876, this negativity was still fresh in people's minds and therefore was not a term that was desirable when speaking of their newly arrived baby. Consequently, the word adoption was sometimes used loosely to describe the new family member's arrival when in fact there was no such legal agreement in terms of "adoption" as we know it today. Today, with adoption, a child is legally a parent's natural child. The primary differences with Indenture is that the child was not able to inherit - a very important right as a family member - and the Foundling Home had the ability to remove the child if it so chose.

The Children's Aid Society, under the direction of Rev. Charles Loring Brace, used neither the Indenture nor Adoption process. Brace believed in both sides - the child and the family -having the option of ending the arrangement. This, he envisioned, would occur under the supervision of the CAS during its yearly visit. Receiving parents were, however, given a card outlining the expectations of caring for a child received from the train, and newspaper announcements spoke clearly of the expectations of caring for a child as a member of one's family....food, clothing, schooling, Sunday school, etc.... but there was no legal Indenture or Adoption form. This sometimes led to the unforeseen circumstance of a child being moved around at will by the receiving family and even the older child taking off on his/her own.

A family receiving a child through the CAS of course had the option of legally adopting the child, once the formal adoption laws were put in place in their state. Kansas, by way of example, did not enact its first adoption laws until 1964 - ten years after the start of the Orphan Train Movement.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!

2011-02-16T07:21:00.006-05:00

Many thanks to my blog followers for hanging in with me through a "silent time" of no posts. I have been incredibly busy in both my private and public life and things do not seem to be calming down any time soon!!!

In January I had two days of visits to the Avon Grove Charter School in Avondale, PA where students did a fabulous job illustrating the chapters of my books, writing summaries and poems, and even composing songs! A big THANK YOU to teacher Sandy Speakman who planned the two days of events, juggling everything around numerous snow days and delays! I've posted some pictures for you to see their work.

DiMENNA CHILDRENS HISTORY MUSEUM - UPDATE!

2011-02-16T07:14:00.004-05:00

Work is underway and on track for the Fall 2011 opening of the DiMenna Children's History Museum in NYC which will be a museum FOR CHILDREN all about the history OF CHILDREN. An entire pavilion will focus on the ORPHAN TRAIN children who traveled from NYC to the Midwest in search of homes.

From the Associated Press....... NEW YORK- The New York Historical Society is closing its galleries for nine months to complete the lst phase of a $65 million renovation of its 1904 building.
The research library and museum near Central Park focuses on material covering four centuries of American and NY history. The museum will close on Tuesday Feb. 1 and reopen on November 11th. The renovation will create a new 3,400 Sq ft. great hall, a children's history museum and a restaurant.
The building's library and reading room will remain open until June 3. It will then close for an interior upgrade that includes cleaning its stained glass window for improved lighting. The library will reopen on Sept. 9th.

EXCELLENT Video Clip of NY Foundling Home's BABY TRAINS to LA

2010-11-20T07:58:00.004-05:00

There is an excellent TV clip about the BABY TRAINS from the NY Foundling home that has recently been added to You Tube. It is a totally accurate, very well done, portrayal. Unfortunately, the address cannot be copy/pasted for whatever reason, but if you are interested in viewing it, go to www.youtube.com and type in Orphan Train Rider Story, and it will be the first choice. It is from the Lousiana Orphan Train Riders Association. ENJOY!

BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL 2010

2010-10-09T07:58:00.006-04:00

On Saturday September 25, 2010 I traveled to the BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL in the Mt. Vernon section of Baltimore for an all day event. The weather was PERFECT - warm and sunny -and the Festival was very well attended. I spent the day sharing the history of the orphan trains with many interesting people from all walks of life! Pictured with me here is a young man named Logan and his mom who purchased all three books. SMILE LOGAN!!!

I had the pleasure of meeting some other children's authors and enjoyed spending "down time" talking with them and learning of their journeys to book publication. Anita Reese sat to my right. http://www.anitareese.tatepublishing.net/ Anita has written two books that incorporate the use of sign language in the reading process. I purchased her book, "Learn to Read with Sign Language - Basic Sight Words" for my niece Sara Anne who is an emerging reader. On my left was author K. Michael Crawford http://www.happilyeverart.com/ who is the award winning author of a very unique series of books which combine reading with drawing. She also spent the day encouraging over 500 festival attendees to contribute to one piece of art work in an effort to break the Guinness Book of World Records and by the end of the day, the record was broken!!! Michael, I found out, will also be traveling to Waynesboro VA the weekend of October 16th for the "Book 'Em" event so we will have the opportunity to spend the day together then as well. Check out both of these author's websites for some GREAT CHILDREN'S BOOKS!

By the end of the day I was exhausted but happy with the event, having sold lots of books and made some very good contacts for future speaking engagements. A huge THANK YOU to my friend Stephanie Paloni Chupein who lives in the Fells Point section of Baltimore and graciously put me up for two nights so that I could be nearby for the event. Thank you for your friendship Stephanie, and for your "Bed & Breakfast" type hospitality!

Next up...... WAYNESBORO VIRGINIA'S "BOOK 'EM" EVENT - Buy a Book, Stop a Crook!" http://www.bookemfoundation.org/Waynesboro/index.html. This is a fundraising book event dedicated to increasing literacy rates and by extension, decreasing crime rates. Sponsored by the Central Shenandoah Crime Stoppers and Hosted by the Waynesboro Police Department, this worthwhile event is in its 7th year! Also attending will be my friend and author Melissa Foster http://www.megansway.com/ author of "Megan's Way". If you're anywhere near the Waynesboro area on the 16th, stop by and say hello!

NATIONAL ORPHAN TRAIN COMPLEX ANNUAL CELEBRATION!

2010-09-18T10:05:00.004-04:00

On September 11, 2010 the NATIONAL ORPHAN TRAIN COMPLEX hosted the annual National Orphan Train Reunion at the museum in Concordia Kansas where visitors were treated to an entirely new museum layout designed by curator Muriel Anderson. Among the many new exhibits and informative displays was this two cube exhibit highlighting the early life of Orphan Train Rider Oliver Nordmark (my grandfather). Each cube included two audio recordings that visitors could listen to through the headphones attached to the side of the display cases.

The first recording, and corresponding visuals, told of Oliver's experiences in the Children's Village Orphange in NYC after being removed from his home due to neglect. This included the story of his first night in the orphanage when he cried himself to sleep, fearful of what lay ahead for him, as well as his experience of being sent to the Power House Jail in the Orphanage after being caught breaking a uniform rule by wearing two uniform shirts instead of one on a particularly cold winter morning.

Oliver's second recording told of his feelings and experience of being chosen to ride an Orphan Train after being in the orphanage for one year. He and his younger brother Edward traveled to Bern Kansas where they were placed with a local farmer and his wife.

On the second cube, visitors listened to Oliver's tale of running away from his second placement - the McCammon's Farm - by jumping onto the side of a departing freight train as it pulled out of Esbon, Kansas on July 4, 1913. In search of a life of his own, Oliver traveled on the side of the train for nearly 200 miles to Goodland Kansas where he found work with a local farmer bringing in the wheat harvest.

In the final recording, Oliver tells the museum visitors of his experiences building and living in a sod house on the prairie outside of Goodland Kansas, complete with rats nibbling on his toes at night and rain dripping through the roof of the house for several days after a storm.

In an email I received from Muriel Anderson, she commented, "I've had a really great reception of the new exhibit. People really like to hear the voice of an actual rider."

This year's reunion featured, in addition to the new museum layout and exhibits, a tribute to MARY ELLEN JOHNSON - founder of the Orphan Train Historical Society of America (OTHSA).

For more information on the National Orphan Train Complex and upcoming State Reunions, be sure and visit their website at http://www.orphantraintdepot.com/

MAYA'S AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY

2010-08-08T14:06:00.008-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/AdopteesHaveAnswers#p/a/f/0/cWTTcNBfaRw

Wow, has it really been a month since I posted on my blog???? I really must do better, but I do have an explanation, I'm happy to say.

First off, please click on the link above to view Maya Berman's AWARD WINNING documentary on the ORPHAN TRAIN MOVEMENT. She did a fantastic job I'm sure you will agree. I am amazed that she is just eleven years old!

Secondly, I am feverishly at work putting together a museum exhibit for the NATIONAL ORPHAN TRAIN COMPLEX in Concordia, Kansas which will feature Oliver Nordmark's audio recordings in four segments: Life in the Children's Village Orphanage in NYC.... Riding the Orphan Train and being chosen from the Opera House stage in Bern, Kansas.... Oliver's decision at age 15 to hop a freight train as it pulled out of town to run away and start a life of his own.... and finally, Life in a Sodhouse on the Kansas prairie.

The museum would like to include this exhibit in time for the yearly National Orphan Train Reunion Celebration which will be held in Concordia the weekend of September 11th. The work is coming along..... I have the audio segments isolated and transferred to separate CDs ..... and I am now working on the documents and artifacts that will complement each segment within the museum display case.

I have also been working on upgrading my display materials for regional Book Festivals in order to attract interested readers to my booth when I attend these events. I have three lined up for the fall, most importantly the Baltimore Book Festival which will be the last weekend in September. I have a brand new, colorful banner that I hope will attract readers attention and am working on some high quality posters as well.

And finally, I have been preparing for my presentation this Thursday at the Shannondell Retirement Community in Valley Forge, PA as well as corresponding with a teacher from the Tidewater area of Virginia who is interested in finding sponsorship for a regional Author Visit to include schools and community organizations - much like my trip to Kansas this past April.

Add to all of that the joys of summer.... vacation getaways, kid's activities, never ending yardwark, home improvement projects ..... well, you get the picture! I promise to do better going forward with more timely posts :)

So......THAT'S MY STORY AND I'M STICKIN' TO IT! As the song goes :)

NATIONAL HISTORY DAY WINNER!

2010-07-05T08:52:00.003-04:00

Recently, out of the blue, I received a phone call from a grandmother in Bethesda Maryland, Thalia Funt, who is a native of central Kansas and had read about my book tour visit to Solomon Elementary School in the Solomon Valley Tribune.

Mrs. Funt’s granddaughter, Maya Berman, is an eleven-year-old who is homeschooled, along with her younger sister Shayna. Maya was a participant in this year’s National History Day Competition in Montgomery County Maryland. Her ten minute documentary on the Orphan Train Movement of 1854-1929 won FIRST PLACE in the Jr. Documentary Category. The documentary, which Mrs. Funt sent me a copy of, is extremely well done and accurate – I was quite impressed! No wonder it took FIRST PLACE!

Maya wrote to me and shared that her own great grandmother had possibly ridden an orphan train in the late 1800’s. Born in 1883, the only known information is that she was an orphan, living with an adoptive family in Kansas. Research revealed that there were no orphanages in Kansas at that time so it is very possible that she arrived in Kansas on an Orphan Train; perhaps sent by the Sisters of Charity or the Children’s Aid Society.

Many thanks to Maya, and to her grandmother Thalia, for sharing - not only Maya’s award winning documentary - but also a little of their own family history. It is through the preservation of individual stories that the history of the Orphan Train Movement will survive!

RIDING THE BABY TRAINS

2010-06-26T17:47:00.009-04:00

After a successful two week book tour to Kansas and taking time to honor the memory of my Uncle Jim, it’s time to get back to the original intent of this Orphan Train History Blog.

I am so appreciative of your patience, blog followers, but I am now Back On Track and ready to pick up the story where I left off……way back on March 6th believe it or not!!!

RIDING THE NY FOUNDLING BABY TRAINS

Sister Mary Irene Fitzgibbon of the Sisters of Charity opened the New York Foundling Hospital on October 11, 1869 which was, appropriately, the Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The sisters had intended to take three months to get the hospital ready to shelter the many abandoned infants that previously had been left on church doorsteps, in ash barrels, on trash heaps and other out-of-the-way places. But on their first night in the building, located at 17 East 12th Street, an infant was left on the steps and the Foundling Hospital was officially OPEN. By January 1, 1870, the original date that the sisters had planned to open their doors, 123 babies were already in residence.

By 1876 the Founding home had relocated to larger quarters; first to 3 North Washington Square, and then, in 1873, to 175 East 68th Street. With an unprecedented number of infants and small children coming under their care, the sisters came to realize that additional solutions were necessary to provide homes for so many children.

Following in the steps of Reverend Brace and the Children’s Aid Society, the Sisters of Charity sent their first train west in 1876. The disbursement of the children through the NY Foundling trains, known as Baby Trains or Mercy Trains, was run differently than the Orphan Trains. Since theirs was a Catholic institution, the nuns were especially concerned that the babies be placed in Catholic homes and raised in the Catholic faith. Instead of sending notices to local newspapers, therefore, the sisters sent letters to the priests of the Catholic parishes in the towns along the railroad. These letters expressed the need for families in rural areas to open their homes to one of the many abandoned babies living in the Founding Home. Priests would read the letter to the congregation during Mass and interested families could then complete a form requesting exactly the type of child that they would like. If a family had three sons, for example, and wanted a daughter, they might ask for a “two year old girl with blonde curly hair and green eyes,” or whatever they thought would be a good fit in their family. The requests would then be sent back to the Foundling Home where the sisters would considerately look over each child (there were thousands at any given time) to carefully select a child that would be a perfect match for the waiting family.

Chosen children would then be “tagged”, that is to say, their name and the receiving family’s name would be sewn into the hem of their dress, and a notice would be sent to the family informing them of the date and time to expect the train’s arrival with their new child.

Once the child had been received, the family was required to complete a “Receipt of Child” form which acknowledged receipt of the orphan as well as promising the Sisters of Charity that the child would be raised in the Catholic faith, sent to school, and given all the advantages of a naturally born child.

Interestingly, many of the babies who rode the Baby Trains were actually adopted by the receiving families whereas many of the children who rode the Orphan Trains were not adopted but lived, rather, in a foster care arrangement until they became of age to go out on their own. Why would this be the case? Imagine you have completed your request form for a baby from the NY Foundling Home and your Parish priest has mailed it off to NY for the selection to take place. What do you suppose you would be doing on your farm between that time and the time the child arrived? Getting ready, of course. You would no doubt be sewing clothes, knitting blankets, having your husband build a crib or bed for the child…all sorts of things. You were probably already “bragging” about your new little daughter to neighbors, friends and fellow parishioners. By the time the child arrived on the train, you were surely all ready to welcome her into your home and your heart. She was already yours! Once in your home, you would naturally want to protect this new relationship with legal status since children could be removed by the sending agencies for any number of reasons.

Families taking children from the Children’s Aid Society Orphan Trains, however, were not anticipating and preparing for a specific child. They were, instead, more likely coming into town to see the New York orphans, consider the options, and perhaps bring a child home to help with the labors of farm life. They may have gone into town thinking that they would be bringing home a boy to help work the fields only to find that most of the children that day were girls. A fourteen-year-old girl to help with the housework might end up joining the family instead.

My friend, and fellow author, Renee Wendinger is the daughter of an orphan train rider. Sophia Kaminsky (pictured above at age 4) was relinquished to the NY Foundling Home at 5 ½ months of age and traveled on one of the Baby Trains in June of 1917 to Minnesota when she was just two years old. You can read more about Sophia as well as the orphan trains in Renee’s book, Extra! Extra! The Orphan Trains and Newsboys of New York which is available through her website at http://www.theorphantrain.com/.

In Memory of James B. Nordmark

2010-06-02T10:28:00.012-04:00

Yesterday I received the sad news that my uncle, James Bruce Nordmark passed away on Memorial Day, May 31, 2010. Jim was born the fifth child of Oliver and Estella Nordmark on October 12, 1926. He, along with my father, was the driving force behind my third book, PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES: A True Story From the Great Depression. He graciously took the time to sit down with a tape recorder and tell me all the stories of his childhood...the good, the bad, and the very funny!

Jim served his country as a young man of 16, having changed the date on his birth certificate so that he could sign up. Before his 17th birthday, he was on a ship headed to the Mediterranean Sea.

He married Muriel Jones with whom he celebrated 64 years of marriage. Together they raised four children, Steve, Debbie, Joann and Jimmy.

I have so many memories of Uncle Jim.... Vacationing at his home every summer, waterskiing and camping at Pardee's Beach in the Poconos, traveling to Colorado with his family and mine, working with him on my book.....he was without question, my favorite uncle. In fact, my son James is named for him.

Life is complicated, and time and circumstances can overshadow what truly matters. Jim's life began under difficult conditions and he weathered many hardships and challenges over the course of his 83 years. He would often remark, after telling a particularly hard story, "But... I got through that."

It was part of his outlook on life, I would say. Do what you have to do to get through the tough times. Relish the good times.

Jim Nordmark was a kind man who loved his family and spoke with pride of their accomplishments. I am blessed to have had him in my family and in my life. I think that I can speak for our entire family when I say that I will miss him, and always remember him with a smile. I love you Uncle Jim.

Delaware's NATIONAL HISTORY DAY Winner!

2010-05-17T16:30:00.006-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of spending time with a delightful young lady, Camille Fontenelle, of Newark, Delaware who competed this year in Delaware’s NATIONAL HISTORY DAY and was chosen to represent Delaware at the National Competition in June. Her topic was The Orphan Train Movement and she graciously consented to an interview for my Blog.

1. Each year, the National History Day Project chooses a category which students must make sure their topics fit into. What was this year’s category and what lead you to choose the ORPHAN TRAIN MOVEMENT?

This year’s category was INNOVATION IN HISTORY – IMPACT AND CHANGE. I chose the Orphan Train Movement because I was trying to find something that was about people and what they did to impact and change history. I had read the book RODZINA by Karen Cushman and it was so interesting and in the back of the book she had all this information about the Orphan Trains. So I was thinking, “This could be Impact and Change!” Then I got the PBS movie about the Orphan Trains to see if this was going to fit and it did so I just totally went with it.

2. I’ve seen student projects that are informational three fold displays but you chose instead to do a Dramatic Presentation. Why was that?

Well, I had done it before and I liked acting. I could have done an exhibit but I really don’t like doing exhibits – I don’t consider myself a very artistic person when it comes to putting portfolios together, so I preferred to do something I knew I was good at, so I did a dramatic presentation.

3. What type of research was involved?

I started with the documentary, then I tried to see just what was the CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY and I found their website and then I looked at the Historical Societies. Illinois has a whole list of orphan train stories and records and newspaper articles. I tried to see what was online and contacted people from there. I contacted the Historical Societies of NJ, NY, KS and NE and I also sent a letter to the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, KS and received information from that.

4. Tell me about your experiences competing so far this year in the National History Day Project.

We had two people from my school compete in the Dramatic Presentation category this year – me and my friend – so we assembled and we got ready and kind of hyperventilated a little and then cheered each other on and went for it to see what would happen.

5. So were students there from all over Delaware?

Yes, there were people from Wilmington Christian, Pike Creek, Newark High…quite a bit of schools were represented there.

6. And so now you go on to Nationals! Where will that be held?

Yes! That is scheduled for four days in June – the 13th-17th at the University of Maryland in College Park.

7. So you’ll be competing in the Dramatic Presentation category against students from around the country who also won in their states? How many students do you think you’ll be competing against?

Yes, there will probably be over 100 students since each state can send two students and students from Guam compete too.

8. Is there a chance that there might be other students doing the same topic – The Orphan Trains?

There might be but I doubt it since the Orphan Trains is kind of an obscure topic. Sometimes the more obscure topics don’t get as much recognition, probably because the judges don’t have as much information on the topic and it’s harder for them to judge you.

9. How much time do you have to give your presentation…is there a certain time allotment?

Yes, it can’t be more than 10 minutes!

That’s not much time, Camille, to get all the information and all the feelings and repercussions of the Orphan Train Movement across to the judges, but I love your approach and I can see that you’ve worked really hard to accomplish just that with your presentation. I wish you the BEST OF LUCK – 250,000 children (orphan train riders) will be rooting for you in June!

Book Tour INTERVIEW!

2010-05-12T15:58:00.004-04:00

Last week I was excited to be contacted and interviewed by author Dianne K. Salerni (WE HEAR THE DEAD: Sourcebooks May 2010) for her blog IN HIGH SPIRITS. Since we had so much to talk about, she ended up spliting the interview into two parts; the first of which is posted here www.diannesalerni.blogspot.com. Be sure to read the comments too! This portion of the interview is all about my recent book tour to Kansas and independent publishing. Part two of the interview will be posted in about a week and will focus on my books and the Orphan Train Movement. Dianne is a fantastic writer & reviewer. I hope you'll take a peek and ENJOY!

Early next week I'll have a posting on the Orphan Train Movement and the National History Competition coming June 12th in Maryand!

A FEW MORE PICTURES FROM THE BOOK TOUR :)

2010-05-03T12:25:00.006-04:00

In no particular order.....The Nazareth Convent in Concordia KS - built in 1913, home of the Sisters of St. Joseph..... Displays from the Orphan Train Museum (Sisters of Charity, Clothing display and baggage cart)......

Muriel Anderson, curator of the Orphan Train Museum, and myself....... Presentation at Southeast of Saline Elementary School in Gypsum, KS.......

Donna Brown, posing outside our first hotel in Columbus, OH..... The gas pump that was in the yard with the goats and washtubs in Warrenton, MO........

My host in Salina Kansas and the real star of the Book Tour, Sara Gault and her family (Gage, Carter, Ben and Molly).

More Pictures!

2010-05-02T21:45:00.010-04:00

More scenes from the book tour...The chickens in the back of the car in Warrenton, Missouri.....The Huckleberry Tea Room Luncheon in Concordia, KS.....Donna outside the Country Inn & Suites (home away from home!).....The Swedish Country Inn in Lindsborg, KS. Remember.... you can click on any picture to see it a bit larger.

More pictures tomorrow!

Home Sweet Home!

2010-05-02T20:40:00.012-04:00

Well, here we are on Sunday, May 2nd and I have returned safely home! What an outstanding two week adventure. I have SO MANY people to thank for the success of this book tour - I hope I don't leave anyone out - if I do, raise your hand!

First and foremost, I MUST thank Sara Gault of Shilling Elementary School in Salina Kansas. Sara, nearly single handedly, orchestrated this entire trip leaving no stone unturned. She handled the scheduling of school and community visits, publicity, and the acquisition of funding from the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. Once I arrived in Kansas, Sara made sure that I felt welcome right from the start, introducing me to other teachers and principals in the school district and including me in the daily 4:15 pm "coffee clutch" at the mall! Coffee at 4:15....I don't know Sara, this may be the reason you don't sleep much at night-lol! Sara also made sure I wouldn't get lost while going from school to school by generously driving me around every evening showing me how to get to the next day's schools. We enjoyed some wonderful meals with Tina, Jean, Kathy and Kathleen and a special night out with Sara's family Molly, Ben, Carter and Gage - adorable little boys with excellent restaurant manners :) SARA, you are an amazing woman and I am blessed to be able to call you my friend. I truly hope that when you travel EAST in May, you give me a call and if you are anywhere near me, I will come to see you!

I, of course, want to thank the Salina Arts & Humanities Commission for funding this book tour, with a special thank you to Sharon Benson who, although drowning in preparations for a huge festival coming to Salina in June, found time in her busy schedule to come to my first presentation to enjoy my talk as well as check to see that I had everything I needed....which of course I did. The accommodations were excellent - I couldn't have asked for a more comfortable place to call "home" for two weeks.

Tons of "Thank yous" to the hundreds of students and residents of Salina Kansas who welcomed me so enthusiastically to their schools and organizations! You made me feel so welcome and I so enjoyed speaking with and meeting you. Your questions were always so thoughtful and I am thrilled to have been able to reach so many of you with the story of the Orphan Train Riders. Remember your homework assignment????? Have you found ONE person yet who doesn't know about the orphan trains and taught them everything you learned?? Remember.....250,000 riders are counting on you! (no pressure there, right?)

Muriel Anderson of the Orphan Train Complex in Concordia Kansas did a wonderful job in organizing my book signing at the museum as well as the luncheon at the Huckleberry Tea Room. And I will never forget the kindness shown me by Virginia Alexander who I had met in Kansas back in 2006 and who traveled to the museum to see me again and catch up on everything that has happened in the last four years! You made my day, Virginia!

To two of the BEST FRIENDS a girl could ask for - Donna Brown and Karen Williams - you guys are so special to me! When I would tell people what you were willing to do for me (drive out to KS, then fly back......then fly out to KS and drive back) they always looked at me in amazement and commented along the lines of, "Wow, they are good friends!" I SO enjoyed my time with both of you - I haven't laughed so hard since.....I don't know when! I will be calling you both to set up a time when the three of us can get together and laugh all over again!

A big THANK YOU to my family, Bob, Carlo, James & Estella, who agreed to "let me go" for two weeks and keep things going here at home without me. I know it wasn't easy but I hope you know how much I appreciated it! Thank you MOM & DAD who, although you couldn't come to Kansas with me as originally planned, were with me in spirit - and on the phone - throughout the entire trip. I felt your love and support during every presentation and missed not having you there. And mom....I can't thank you enough for doing all the laundry here at home while I was gone - what a priceless gift!!

Thank you to those who cooked for my family in my absence - Mary, Donna and Mom - thanks to you, no one starved!

Last but certainly not least, I want to thank EVERYONE who followed along with this blog, as well as my Facebook postings, during my book tour. Your blog comments, facebook posts and welcome phone calls kept me company, and made me feel like I wasn't alone on this adventure!

Okay.......... Did I miss anyone? Raise your hand....or post a comment to let me know!

I am posting some pictures that didn't make it onto the daily blog posts - some here on today's post, and the rest tomorrow. Then I'll be taking a few days off from blogging to get things back in order here at home before resuming my posts on the orphan train movement and individual rider stories. I hope you'll continue to follow along :)

Until next time.........

DAY #17 - Some Things Never Change!

2010-05-01T20:45:00.004-04:00

On our second full day together, Karen and I are rediscovering some old traits of our youth. For those who don't know...Karen and I were best friends in high school. After school we lost contact with one another and only recently (2 years ago) reconnected after 32 years! We were amazed and pleased to find that we quickly stepped right back into our friendship without skipping a beat...although we had a lot of catching up to do!

Well, Karen is now remembering just how stubborn I can be...."We don't have to stop for gas yet - even though it's totally on "E" - we'll be fine. That gas is a mile off the highway, we don't want to go that far off track, and besides it might be cheaper at the next place." (Karen meanwhile is thinking.....She does NOT want to deal with me if we run out of gas!)

I, on the other hand, am remembering....through example....that Karen can be a bit like Mary Poppins. What does that mean, you might ask? We love Mary Poppins..she's magical and she solves all the problems in the house right? Well....yes that's true. But, she also did that, "Spit, Spot, Come now Jane and Michael, hurry along!" thing.

Karen is up at the crack of dawn and the MINUTE her feet hit the floor she is in motion. Crazy me, what was I thinking that we would get up when we woke up and get a shower and enjoy our coffee while doing a little web surfing while we planned out the day's travel. OH NO! "I'll just take your bags down to the car," she said. Meanwhile I'm thinking.... I'm not done with that, what's the hurry. Then she says, "I'll go and get you coffee and bring it up while you get a quick shower....you don't need to wash your hair do you? Before I was out of my "quick" shower, Karen had returned, left coffee on the table, filled the cooler with fresh ice, restocked the food from the fridge, and carried most everything to the car. "I'll just wait for you down in the dining room -I'll have bagel - no rush." In other words, "Spit Spot Donna!"

Well, I did the best I could...resigned myself to a "bad hair day" and hustled down to the dining room, where Karen announced to everyone in the room..."okay, I'm ready!" So....I grabbed a yogurt and a spoon and spit spotted my way to the car so as not to upset "Mary"!

Just so you know...I am not a total pushover. Tomorrow morning...Mary Poppins is loosing her umbrella (I won't say where I'm putting it, but you can just imagine) and I will be calling the shots....even if it means resetting the clocks to make her think it's 4 am instead of 6! Even MARY doesn't get up that early! And frankly, after looking at this picture of my road weary car....maybe I'll send her out to the car wash here in Wheeling WV tomorrow morning to keep her busy while I take a little more "morning time." Spit Spot, Karen!!

P.S. For those who were anxiously awaiting our new country song lyrics.....we gave it our best shot, but what we ended up with was just not suitable for publication here on the blog....know what we mean Debby????

DAY #16 - Karen & Karla - back together again!

2010-04-30T23:05:00.005-04:00

Who's Karla you might ask? I thought this was Donna's Blog??? Well, yes, but you see Karen flew into Wichita today at 4 pm and the first thing we did as we kicked up the last of the Kansas dust was revert back to our youth (oh wait, we're still young-lol!) and put Karla Bonoff on the CD player. Of course, the last time we heard from Karla......she was on an album and an 8 track! But, we still know all the words and remember the teen angst that accompanied our hair brush in the mirror performances! Oh, Karla we have missed you! How we wish we could have stayed in Salina, KS where she will be performing on May 3rd, but alas...we will have to put that off for another day - or another cross country trip. Okay, maybe not.

We left the airport and headed straight for the KS turnpike EAST enjoying the view of grazing cattle.... and more grazing cattle....and a few more. That might be enough grazing cattle for a few months :) Then we entered the great state of Missouri. Taking a page from my previous follower's comment, we tried really hard to find something resembling...oh I don't know.....home? So......we veered into a Pizza Hut! Now that should do it. Pizza Huts are EVERYWHERE, right?? Yes, but they're special in Missouri. Enough Said. What happens on the road home to Delaware....sometimes has to stay on the road. (Hint: Do you have club soda? With lemon? Oh, we only have lemon "packets". oooh. no thanks. Karen, just have a beer. Oh, okay...what kind of beer do you have? "I don't know, I don't drink beer.")

After driving for 200 miles, Karen sighed as we passed yet another 18 wheeler.... "I could never be a truck driver." To which Donna immediately and without thinking (becoming a bad habit) replied, "I could be a truck driver's wife!" So....tomorrow we will be working hard on lyrics to our new country song, "I could never be a trucker but I'll be a trucker's wife" - to the tune of Miranda Lambert's "Gotta Get a Gun." Be sure to check back, you won't want to miss that!

10:30 pm and we're in Columbia MO enjoying a few Jack Rose's (that's a mixed drink - get your mind out of the gutter) and relaxing before we start all over again in the morning.

See you then!

DAY #14 - All good things must come to an end...

2010-04-28T17:41:00.007-04:00

Today I had my last 2 school presentations here in Kansas. It's been a really exciting time and there have been so many wonderful people to meet and share the stories of the orphan trains with. I'm a little sad to see it come to an end.... I'll have great pictures and new friends to reminisce with, and the satisfying knowledge that through my efforts....as well as the work of so many other people....just maybe the history of America's Orphan Train Riders will not be lost to future generations. Did you know that it is estimated that one out of every 25 Americans is somehow connected to an orphan train rider? With the last train running in 1929, the youngest surviving rider is now 81 so of the 250,000+ children who rode the trains over a period of 75 years, there are fewer than 200 left to tell the tale. Maybe you'll tell one person.......

Today's schools and kids were just what I needed to end this adventure on a HIGH NOTE! These pictures are from Solomon Elementary School about 15 miles east of Salina. The little boy pictured with me at the table is Cameron - he is the grandson of Jean (one of the teachers who has worked so hard to make this trip a reality). What a nice young man! The group shot is with Mrs. Kirby's 4th grade students and the picture of me talking to the little girl is during my demonstration of choosing a child from the orphan train. I'm asking her if she knows how to clean chicken coops and collect eggs. "Oh yes," she answered me. Of course if she were from an orphanage in NYC she wouldn't know much about farm life, if anything, but orphan train children were in search of homes and families so they were apt to say anything in order to be chosen!

After a book signing and pictures, I continued on to St. Mary's Grade School back in Salina where I talked with 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Lots of great kids, questions and participation! My funniest comment came from John, a boy who, when I showed the slide of a sodhouse on the prairie, raised his hand to identify it as "a mobile home?" Hmmm... maybe one covered in mud John??

Many, many thanks to all the schools, students, teachers and community members who have made this book tour an absolute success! I am so appreciative and I know that when I remember my time here in central Kansas it will be with a happy heart and a smile on my face!

A day of preparation tomorrow for the journey home.......

DAY #14 - Vacation? Ya think?

2010-04-28T17:00:00.007-04:00

I'll be blogging in 2 parts again today - for right now I just wanted to post this crazy picture that I took driving down interstate 70 at 75 MPH in 50 mph winds......READY?

This guy passed me so he must have been doing at least 80 mph. There was no tailgate on the truck....the suitcases and cooler rested precariously on top of a shelf just behind the cab, there were other items under the suitcases(the really important stuff no doubt!) and best of all.....two large dogs were crouched down trying to stay ON THE TRUCK and out of the wind!

Hey, I guess everyone needs a vacation once in awhile....no matter what it takes! All I could think of was the country song.... God is great, Beer is good......and People are crazy!

I'll be back with news from Solomon Elementary :)

LUCKY #13!

2010-04-27T20:27:00.007-04:00

Here I am on the 13th day of my book tour to Kansas and I can honestly say that nothing has gone wrong the entire trip! Well, nothing seriously wrong. And believe me, if something had...I would write about it. Those of you who know me well, know that it's the truth. I am not a fan of people who put on happy faces and act like nothing ever goes wrong in their world....give me a break. If that's the case, you're not living very far outside your four walls-lol!

Today was in fact one of the best days so far. I spoke at two schools - each about a 20 minute drive away. Both presentations were given before large crowds (upwards of 100 students) and there were lots of great questions which makes me know that they were paying attention and thinking about what I was saying. Things like.... "What if the baby died on the train from NYC to Kansas? Would they bury it along the track or bring it to you and let you bury it?" Huh?? And this one... "I think if the train got to the end of the line and there was a kid left, then they should just leave that kid because he musta not been trying hard enough to get picked by a farmer. Maybe he was lazy and didn't want to work." Okay.... And the last one that comes to mind, and probably my favorite comment of the day.... "Why did you end Fly Little Bird, Fly! the way your did? It made me want to keep reading and I don't like to read." What?? Well you see it was actually a conspiracy, have you ever heard that word? I wanted to control your mind and make you do something you hated..... wait till you read my next book - it might cause you to want to clean your room or some other equally horrid thing!

I'm posting a picture from my first talk - I'm cringing because I look....I don't know...I can't tell what I'm doing, it's pretty bad. But, I wanted to show you how cool the PowerPoint looked on this wall sized screen. This school also had a great sound system so the tape recordings I usually play on my CD player were played instead through the sound system - what a difference.

My second talk of the day was in Lindsborg, Kansas at Soderstrom Elementary School. I'm posting some pictures of the town since it was very unique for this area of the country. I'm going to go back on Friday morning on my way to the airport to pick up my friend Karen (who has very generously offered to drive home with me even though her life has been thrown into general chaos....you know how thankful I am for your friendship, Karen. I hope to be able to repay you some day!)

Lindsborg has a main street that is laid in brick and very wide with lots of neat little shops, and wide tree lined residential streets with cute little picture perfect houses. I can't wait to get out and walk around, especially since Friday is forecast to be in the 80's here in central Kansas.

This has been an awesome trip but I'm beginning to hear my real life calling in the background.....Estella hit a car in the parking lot, it happened to be a brand new Lexus and the bill is $1800.... Christian (James' job coach) can't seem to get his GPS to work in the car's lighter and seems to think he can't get around town without it so that car needs to go into the shop... Bob's still working two jobs and trying to keep everything else going too and is starting to mention how, "I need a wife".... and the dog (Ginger) will soon be looking for a new home through the SPCA if I don't get back soon to take care of her....so, the party's almost over.

Let's hope my luck can hold out for just a few days more!!!

DAY #12 - The National Orphan Train Complex

2010-04-26T20:37:00.007-04:00

WELCOME BACK! I took a true day of rest yesterday and didn't even blog. The hotel pool and spa were very relaxing - 20 laps and 20 minutes - then back to the room to get organized for the new week, visit with some friends on facebook, call home to check if everyone is surviving ("barely, but don't worry mom!") and watch a bit of TV after an early dinner.

Today I headed back to Concordia, 50 miles north of here, to tour the National Orphan Train Complex, take a video to show my Dad and Mom when I get home, buy some souvenirs, and sell another 20 books. I had a great discussion with the new curator, Muriel Anderson, about the future of the museum (she plans to re-do the entire interior) and we talked about a permanent display that would document Oliver and Edward's journey from the Children's Village Orphanage in Dobbs Ferry (Long Island, NY) to Bern, Kansas. The display would incorporate two excerpts of Oliver's oral history (wasn't my Dad brilliant to sit his father down and record his story?!) One side of the display case would include artifacts, documents and audio from Oliver's life in NYC and the orphanage. The other side would highlight his ride on the train and his years in Kansas. There would also be a brief bio of his life as an adult. So.....I have a new project when I get home. It will be up to me to decide what to include on each of the two audio clips and I'll need to go through our records to make sure Muriel has all the documentation that she needs, and if not, get it to her. I also need to get up to the NY Historical Society sometime in May so that I can review Oliver and Edward's records from the Children's Aid Society to see if there's any additional info there that the previous archivist left out when he sent me papers from Oliver's file records.

"A lot to do, a lot to do, a lot a lot a lot to do!" What's that from? Quiz question for the day-lol! Joany, I'm sure you'll know!

So......after my visit to the museum, I drove around town to see the sights then visited Concordia Elementary School for a 1:30 presentation and book signing to the fourth graders. The one hour drive back along Interstate 135 was very peaceful and relaxing. There is nothing to see but gently rolling hills etched with grazing cattle, a few windmills, and open sky that goes on forever. Some people would find that excruciatingly boring....but I love it! Good thing I'm here alone :)

Two schools tomorrow - one of which is in Lindsborg, a town settled by the Swedes. They're both south of Salina so it will be a pretty long day - see you then!

PART 2 - Cowboys, Windmills & Tea Parties: SNAPSHOTS From the DAY!

2010-04-24T20:42:00.013-04:00

What a fun day! Here are my "picture postcards" from Kansas. I love the shot of the windmill and the house...things have come a long way since the windmill and sodhouse on the prairie of Oliver's day, that's for sure. Well...maybe not the house, but the windmill has certainly been improved upon :)

Here is an old homestead that we came upon while chasing windmills - and a lone cowboy on a mule. I know it will never happen with a city boy for a husband, but I personally could live here in Kansas!

This is me with Virginia Alexander. I met Virginia when I was in Esbon, KS back in 2006. She knows a lot about the history of the area and she has sent me some great records over the last few years. I had no idea she was coming to the museum today to hear me talk and I was thrilled to see her again!

The sandwiches on the menu at the Tea Room all have names - This one is called "The Oliver" - how could we resist! Well, truth be known, I resisted since it is tuna (no thank you) but Virginia said she was going to order it in honor of Oliver whether she liked it or not, and order it she did!

Here is the player piano from the tea room - only 25 cents
a song - can you see the keys playing??

Here is 1/2 of our table at the Huckleberry Tea House. These three ladies are Kathleen, Tina and Jean - all good friends of my host, Sara Gault. They are all in education - principals and teachers - and wonderful people!

And last, but certainly not least.....the girls of the Tea House! Don't they look like they're having fun....dressing up in hats, boas, white gloves, etc. and sitting down to Afternoon Tea with girlfriends??? I don't think we have Tea Rooms in Delaware, do we? Maybe when I get back home, I'll look into opening one, it was such a fun time!

Tomorrow I'll be spending the day relaxing at the hotel....sleeping....reading....swimming in the pool... soaking in the hot tub (don't be looking for any pictures - there won't be any!)

Monday starts week #2 with fewer visits but more driving since the schools are in areas around Salina anywhere from 10-50 miles. I do plan to get back to Concordia since I haven't yet been able to actually go in the museum and I'm NOT leaving Kansas before I do that :)

Day #10 - The Huckleberry Tea Room

2010-04-24T17:26:00.003-04:00

I'll be writing today in two posts. This picture is from my booksigning with some of the attendees at the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia this morning. The lady to my left (as you face the picture) is a descendant of W.L. Gish - the farmer who took in Edward, my great uncle, after his second ride on the Orphan Train. Very Amazing! The gentleman next to me is her husband and they had a lot of information to share and promised to email me even more...including pictures! How cool is that?? During my visit to the complex, I also gave an interview to the local radio station about Oliver's story, my books and my impressions of the museum and the work that is being carried out there. By 11:45 we were in town at the Huckleberry Tea Room for a delicious luncheon for 14 people. Many, many thanks to my friends in Salina....Sara, Tina, Jean and Kathleen for their companionship and transportation. It was really a fun day and a great way to wrap up the week! More to come.....

DAY #9 - Wrapping Up Week #1

2010-04-23T17:23:00.007-04:00

Wrapping up the end of the first week here in Kansas, I began the morning at Schilling Elementary School where my host, Sara Gault (the crazy lady responsible for this excellent adventure!) is a fourth grade teacher. These pictures are taken from her class. The kids were great, lots of them bought copies of the books for themselves, and their interest and questions did not disappoint. This little girl's name is Astrid. The third picture is Sara Gault and I - we both agree that neither one of us takes a good picture....but, for posterity, we begrudgingly did our best-lol! Sara's daughter Molly works for the local paper and she, along with a coworker who writes for the paper came to the presentation and took lots of pictures - one with each child - to have as a souvenier. There may also be an opportunity to have Fly Little Bird, Fly published in portions in the paper for people to read. More on that later as I get more information :)

After two presentations at Schilling and a quick lunch break, I traveled to Coronado Elementary for visits with the third graders, followed by the fourth graders. Students and teachers alike have been very interested and involved in the many discussions that have "spontaneously erupted" during my visits and it's easy to see that this is a subject that really gets people, young and old alike, thinking and wondering about.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'll be traveling to the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, KS which is about an hour drive north of here. I'll be doing a book signing and reading from 10-11:30 followed by a luncheon at the Huckleberry Tea Room in town. I'm really looking forward to seeing the museum now that it's completed! Sunday will be a "day of rest" - literally. Then next week the visits will begin again in schools in surrounding communities!

Enjoy your evening - I'll be resting up - and I'll see you on Day #10. Thanks for following :)

Day #8 - There's No Place Like Home....

2010-04-22T21:30:00.002-04:00

Oh boy...heavy rains with thunder, lightening, and high winds through the night, turned into tornado warnings early this morning. Then the skys cleared for a good part of the day, only to become even more dangerous this evening. There are tornado warnings all over Kansas, as I type, with the potential for baseball size hail as well. Would that break a windshield? I'm guessing YES. Well, I'll put on my "Scarlet O'Hara persona and simply say, "I'll think about that tomorrow!" Hopefully I won't hear any sirens in the night, since I wouldn't know what to do anyway!

I began my day at South Middle School where I was met by a very enthusiastic and friendly crowd of 120 sixth graders and their teachers. Many of the students had read the first and second books and some had even started the third. Pictured above is my new "son" who was chosen from the orphan train line up to come home with me during the presentation. Thank you Samuel for your good spirted nature and willingness to play along. (I promised you you'd be on the blog tonight, so here you are!)

After a quick lunch, I traveled to Sunset Elementary School for two visits with 5th and 4th graders. Seemed like a pretty light day compared to yesterday! This evening I enjoyed a delicious steak dinner with my hosts then retreated to my hotel room to wait out the storm. Here's hoping we don't lose power....not to mention the roof!

DAY #7 - Wow, A Week Already?!

2010-04-21T22:21:00.004-04:00

Today was a marathon day - I started talking at 8 am and finished at 8 pm! Luckily my throat held out. I do think I may have figured out what I am having an allergic reaction to out here in Kansas - Cottonwood Trees. Big fluffy white polen is floating all around and since I don't have allergies at home (nor do I have cottonwood trees) I'm going to blame it on them. Other than that, and my complete disgust with Mapquest, the day was exceptional!

I began the day at Lakewood Middle School speaking to 6th graders followed by 4th graders at Huesner and Meadowlark Elementary Schools and finally, 5th graders at Coronado. From there I went straight to the Salina Public Library for a talk and book signing and finally - after a quick burger at McDonald's - my last talk and book signing at Kansas Wesleyan University where I spoke to education students not only about the orphan trains and my books, but also about independent publishing and integrating my books and this subject into school curriculum.

During my typical school presentation, after talking about both the orphan trains and the baby trains and the differences in how the two trains worked, I always point out that, "interestingly, many of the children who rode the baby trains through the Sisters of Charity at the NY Foundling home were actually adopted by the people who took them in, as opposed to the children who rode the orphan trains through the Children's Aid Society who were more likely not to be adopted." Then I ask students why they think that might be. In all the presentations I've given over the years....hundreds by now....no student has ever come up with the main reason for this difference. Today, at Coronado, a fifth grader named Eli was the first student to ever answer this question! Congratulations Eli, you're a very bright and thoughtful young man!

DAY #6 - Great Kids, Great Questions.....and no guns!

2010-04-20T18:16:00.003-04:00

One of the fun things for me when visiting different regions of the U.S. is noticing the quirky little things that the locals don't think twice about but which stick out to me like a big sore thumb and make me think, whoa...what's up with that? Take this sign, for instance. This is on the front door of every school in Salina, Kansas. It is also a sign on every bank here - and I've been to about 7 of them cashing checks for book orders. So today, as a smiling old guy is holding the door to the bank open for me (nice to know chivalry is alive and well in the Midwest), I couldn't help myself. I grabbed the door and pointed to the sign saying, "You know, I'm here from Delaware and I've never seen a sign like this on a bank. Is there a problem with guns around here or something?" With a deep chuckle he said, "Oh no ma'am, no problem with guns, we just don't want you carrying them around!" Okay...... I'll remember that. Note to self....guns okay in Kansas, no problem. Just don't carry one around, especially in the bank or the school - works for me!

So, then I couldn't help but picture the guy who gets up one morning and decides he's going to go rob a bank. He grabs his handgun, shoves it in his pocket and drives to the local branch of the Sunflower Bank. When he arrives, he nervously looks around, checking for any cop cars, then decides when the time is right and tips his cap down over his eyebrows and heads for the door. Just as he reaches for the handle, he sees the sign and stops. "Oh geez," he says to himself. "I can't bring my gun in here, better go and leave it in the car!"

REALLY?????

But then I got to thinking...I've been watching the news every night and I haven't seen a report of an armed bank robbery yet so maybe the criminals here in Kansas are just as nice and friendly as everyone else and maybe the signs do work, who knows??? But only in the Midwest - no way would that work in the Northeast!

The kids today were great! I had four presentations at three schools to 3rd and 5th graders and the questions at the end of each talk were the best part. It's always fun to see what kids will ask after sitting and listening to the story of the orphan trains and Oliver's adventures. Things like, "What did the kids eat on the train?" (the noses always scrunch up when I answer, 'mustard sandwiches') and "What if they had to go to the bathroom on the train?" Let's face it, these are the things that kids think about and worry about. It's a lot of fun :)

No talks tonight....although there are 6 on the schedule tomorrow - from 8 am to about 8 pm. Whew! Good thing the voice is holding out. Until day 7.......

DAY #5 - Let The Talking Begin!

2010-04-19T23:04:00.008-04:00

Thankfully I finally got a decent night's sleep on Sunday, just in time, too, since today was go, go, go! I visited Oakdale Elem. for two presentations; one to 5th grade and one to 3rd graders. The kids were fantastic and had read all of the first two books and part of Peanut Butter For Cupcakes so they were very prepared to soak up everything I had to tell them and they had great questions to boot! The 3rd graders had even written me thank you letters telling me what part of Oliver's story they liked best. General consensus: the story of Little Red the piglet that Oliver couldn't bring himself to kill but instead cared for as a pet, was the best. It's a wonderful lesson in compassion.

I was also pleased, while at Oakdale, to have the chance to meet Sharon Benson from the Salina Arts & Humanities Commission, the organization that is sponsoring my trip.

After a quick lunch, I headed out to Cottonwood Elementary School to talk with 4th graders who although had not had a chance to read the first book yet, were very curious about what I had to say and especially enjoyed hearing Oliver's tape recording of life in a sodhouse - complete with rats nibbling on his toes in the night! It was a great visit and I even had a chance to use a "smart board" for the first time. What will they come up with next??? Chalk is definitely "old school" at this point I'm afraid!

At 4:00 I met my hosts at the mall for a peach smoothie......yes, I had to know everything that was in it before I would try it....and frankly the sugar content kept me going until....well, I'm still going and it's 11:25 pm.

After dinner and a quick tour of where tomorrow's schools are located, I visited the Eaglecrest Retirement Community (pictures above) where I was greeted by a very warm and welcoming crowd of active seniors who made me feel right at home. In fact, in a few years, I'll probably come back and move in!

It is not lost on me that today, April 19th, is the 16th anniversary of Oliver Nordmark's passing. There are no coincidences....Love you Granddad, I hope I'm doing your story justice :)

That's all for today....See you tomorrow!

Day #4 - A DAY OF REST :)

2010-04-18T18:06:00.005-04:00

Okay, so these pictures are from DAY #2 but I finally found the camera cord so I'm catching up :) The washtubs were on the lawn with the goats at a house in front of our hotel in Warrenton, MO and THE HIDE OUT....Beer Food & Fun! was our next door neighbor. We admit to being tempted to find out what the "fun" was all about, but our good sense got the better of us!

Today I was up at 2 am - don't ask me why - and we had to leave for the airport at 4:30 am. I was back in the hotel by 7:30 and tried to catch up on some sleep, which never works - at least not for me. So....I settled for a swim in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub for about an hour, then getting set up for tomorrow's presentations. Went to the mall in town to visit with Sara and Tina and then drove to find tomorrow's schools which, as it turns out, are quite close to the hotel. Tomorrow I will have three school visits and my talk at the Eaglecrest Retirement Community. Freddy....if you're reading this....I still remember your advice and will take it to heart at Eaglecrest!

See you tomorrow :) p.s. HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY to my "little" brother Brian!

SAFELY IN SALINA!

2010-04-17T16:44:00.003-04:00

We arrived in Salina Kansas after a six hour drive from Warrenton, MO to the much appreciated news that we had been upgraded to a roomy suite with a sitting area, office area, bar, bath and separate bedroom. I am unpacked and can see that I will be very comfortable here for the next two weeks. The suite is on the ground floor with a nice view and the added bonus of windows that actually open. It is sunny with a cool breeze blowing in through the window as we relax for a few hours before heading out to dinner with our hosts for the week.

Many thanks to Sara Gault and the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission for sponsoring this book tour as well as all the hard work that went into the planning and publicity for the various speaking events.

Having visited the very north of Kansas in 2006, I was a bit surprised to find that the scenery in Central Kansas is quite different. Where in the flat north you would see mile after mile of various farm crops growing, interspersed with gorgeous fields of sunflowers, the central part of Kansas is a little more hilly with cattle grazing on prairie grasses. We saw many controlled burns in circular formation which we will ask our hosts about this evening at dinner.

We will be leaving at 5:00 am for the Wichita airport, an hour and a half away so that my travel companion, Donna Brown, can board her flight back to her family in Delaware. I am so grateful for her willingness to give up three days of her otherwise very exciting life to drive 1/2 way across the country with a control freak behind the wheel! .....her words, not mine :)

Enjoy your day!!!

Day #2 - FREAKY FRIDAY!

2010-04-16T19:03:00.004-04:00

Today's drive was a bit tougher due to the endless stream of bugs colliding with the windshield, rain that hit right as we got to a congested St. Louis at lunch time on a Friday, and a one hour back up in traffic as we waited for what ended up being a horrific tractor trailer collison to be cleaned up. Feeling a bit rammy, we both passed the time jamming to The Sugarhill Gang and flirting with every truck driver we inched past....in our defense, "they started it, mom!"

Did you know that the fine for speeding in Indiana is $1000 and can be penalized with 8 years in prison? In THEIR defense, they do set the speed limit at 70 so I was okay since I always abide by the speed limit (right?), but the other Donna seemed hell bent on driving like the New Jersian she is; tailgating trucks, weaving in and out, going 80-90 mph and attempting to text while driving! I think she thought I owned a hummer instead of a zippy little volvo wagon. She might be taking that steel cage thing a little too much for granted. Needless to say, I had to take the keys from her - doesn't she know I have to get to Kansas in one piece-lol! I have hundreds of school kids waiting to hear about the orphan trains, not to mention a fancy dinner waiting for me in Abilene (thanks to Sara!) But....all kidding aside, I do admit to control issues, and I did in fact take the keys. And, I am happy to say, we are safely in Warrenton, MO for the night.

Now, the goats, log cabin and "The Hide Out Bar" across the street are another story. "Beer, Food, and Fun" was not really my idea of what our choices would be for dinner in Missouri so instead, I am going to bed hungry and praying that nothing knocks on the window in the night. We are the only guests here at the hotel (can't figure out why....the goats are kinda cute when you get up close). Oh, and did you know that transporting chickens in the back one's SUV with the hatch open is perfectly normal......in Missouri??

So...let's recap. 8 years for speeding.....chickens hanging out of the back of the car and goats grazing in the yard...perfectly fine. Can I leave now????

And yes......we have pictures. Haven't found the cord yet...

Day #1 - PIECE OF CAKE!

2010-04-15T17:44:00.003-04:00

Well, we got a little bit of a late start but were on the road by 7:30 this morning. West Chester, PA proved to be a bit of a bear but once we made it to the PA turnpike the traffic was light and the sun was shining! I have a great travel companion - although that's about all I can tell you because....what happens on the road to Kansas, stays on the road to Kansas.... :)

The mountains of western PA did not disappoint although things are not as green yet as they are at home in Delaware, and we even got to breath the polluted air of West Virginia-lol! Crossing into Ohio, we couldn't help but notice that the state animal must be "road kill" (of all sorts). Arrived in Columbus Ohio ahead of schedule only to drive right past the hotel. Once settled in, we enjoyed a dip in the indoor pool and hot tub then a light dinner at Panera Bread.

Yes, we are taking pictures, but the cord to connect the camera to the laptop must be in a different bag so I'll post some once I find it. If you're following this blog tour, please take a minute and sign in as a follower and then post any comments or questions that come to mind. I'd love to hear from you!

Back on the road tomorrow - next stop, Warrenton, MO. Enjoy your day!

READY TO GO!

2010-04-14T19:05:00.002-04:00

The house is clean, there are casseroles in the freezer, laundry all caught up, 5 page list of instructions given to Bob to keep things running smoothly around here, books signed, car loaded up.....I think I'm ready! Donna Brown and I will be leaving tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. We'll be headed for the PA turnpike then settling in for the long drive across the keystone state. It's a bit of a boring drive until you get to the western part of the state where the mountains add a bit to the scenery. Our first stop will be in East Columbus, Ohio - Reynoldsburg to be exact. The weather looks to be gorgeous - sunny and 70 degrees! Enjoy your day :)

I have the BEST FRIENDS!

2010-03-28T12:21:00.005-04:00

It's so true! I have the best friends a girl could ask for. When I was first planning my book tour to central Kansas, I knew that I would need to drive as opposed to flying due to the number of books that I would need to bring, as well as other display items, promotional materials and equipment. Right away my friend Donna Brown offered up her services as a travel companion pointing out that it is not safe for a woman traveling alone by car for three days half way across the country! (Unfortunately I do not have a picture of Donna - she is extremely camera shy and avoids pictures at all cost!) That left me with the task of finding someone to ride home with me since Donna informed me right away that, "I will be flying home as soon as I get you there safely. What am I going to do in Kansas for two weeks??"

Step in my sister-in-law Dru Nordmark. She decided she would like to fly out for the second week and then drive home with me. That plan was going along nicely until some unforseen family things got in the way and sadly she had to back out. NO PROBLEM! My oldest son, Carlo, who is a history teacher said that he would gladly take Friday April 30th off and fly out to Kansas and help me drive home. GREAT! Problem solved. Until......yesterday when he informed me that since the school system was going to be changing their "No Child Left Behind" testing methods, all staff would need to attend a three day training from April 29th - May 2nd. Ut-oh!

What to do? No way was I up for driving across the country by myself. It would take twice as long and be twice as stressful! With fingers crossed and wishful thinking, I sent an email to my best friend from high school, Karen Williams (that's her in the picture on the left) who - even though we had been out of touch with one another for 30 years - I had recently reconnected with and found that we hadn't missed a beat in our friendship. I knew she was between jobs, by choice, so there was a chance.....

I am pleased to say that the answer was an immediate YES! and Karen has already booked her flight. Problem solved, book tour ready to get underway, I am a LUCKY GIRL! Looking forward to meeting lots of wonderful people in and around Salina, Kansas!

WELCOME ABOARD!

2010-03-20T09:09:00.004-04:00

Many, many thanks to Joany Erickson of "Yaya's World" http://yayashome.blogspot.com/ for her enthusiasm about my books and her clever way of bringing some attention to my newly started Blog.

WELCOME to all those who are now following ORPHAN TRAIN HISTORY from Joany's blog and GOOD LUCK on the contest to win a set of my books!

I hope you enjoy reading my posts and that you will learn about part of our country's history that has, for too long, been in the shadows.

And now..... the teacher/presenter in me can't help but give you a homework assignment! After reading the posts here on my blog (best to start at the beginning to understand the entire story), go out and find one person who has never heard of the Orphan Trains and tell them all you know about the era! Feel free to report back about the amazed reactions you encounter upon "teaching" a friend or relative about this missing 75 year social experiment!

SKYPE AN AUTHOR

2010-03-20T08:54:00.006-04:00

What does "SKPYE AN AUTHOR" mean, you might ask? I too found myself asking that question after the opportunity was brought to my attention by a tech savey teacher in northern NJ who was looking for a way to invite me into their classroom to speak about the Orphan Train Movement, but did not think the school's budget would be able to swing the speaking/travel fees associated with my visit. Sure, that's a great idea I responded, having no idea what I was agreeing to.

What to do? QUICK! Do some research on SKYPE.....turns out it's a way to speak - like a phone service - from computer to computer. It's free of charge if both people have a SKYPE account (which is also free) and the only other thing you need is a microphone and speakers. OKAY....got that! But wait, there's more. You want the students to be able to see me in real time on the White Board at the front of the auditorium??? SURE! No problem. GEEZ! What did I just agree to? How do I make that happen? QUICK! More research.... Google Search for "Skype an Author" and low and behold, many authors are already doing this! Okay, click on http://www.skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/ ... well, look at that. Step by step instructions on how to become an author who "SKYPES" - complete with recommendations on what webcam to purchase to obtain the best quality presentation. Webcam purchased, hubby helps out by hooking everything up, and TAA DAA! SKYPE AN AUTHOR ready to go!

Now that I am official....I figure why not go for broke! Back to the website and sign up to be on the list of authors that skype - here's my page! http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/page/Donna+Aviles

After a test session to get the kinks out, I am set to go with my first SKYPE presentation to over 200 5th graders in Northern NJ on April 13th. And if that isn't exciting enough..... a second school has already found me through my wetpaint link above and scheduled a SKYPE presentation for mid-May!

Could this be the future of Classroom Author Visits????? I'll keep you posted!

WELCOME! & BOOK TOUR UPDATES

2010-03-09T19:49:00.005-05:00

A very grateful WELCOME to my two new "followers" Beverly Stowe McClure and Kevin Atteridg. I hope you will scroll down and begin reading from the beginning - January 19th. I also welcome you to comment on anything you find interesting or anything that gets you thinking and generates a question! I'm happy you're here!

SALINA BOOK TOUR UPDATES: Things are really heating up with my book tour to Kansas which is scheduled for April 19-30th. I have three classroom presentations on Monday the 19th followed by a speaking engagement at the Eaglecrest Retirement Community @ 7:15 that evening. Tuesday the 20th I have four classroom presentations and Wednesday the 21st will find me at four different schools during the day and at the Salina Public Library @ 4:00 pm. Thursday the 22nd I will have three classroom presentations and will be the guest speaker for a fundraiser at the Smoky Hills Museum in Salina. This will be a fun event with attendees receiving train "tickets" in the name of an orphan train rider. At the end of the evening they will discover what became of "their child". Dinner will also be served. On Friday the 23rd I will have four school presentations and on Saturday the 25th I will be the guest speaker at a fundraiser for the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, KS. WHEW!! And that is only week #1. More updates to come on week #2.....

2010-03-08T07:33:00.003-05:00

Be sure and Check out today's blog post at http://www.yayashome.blogspot.com/ for part #1 of a 3-part interview with Joany Erickson of YAYA'S CHANGING WORLD!

RIDING THE ORPHAN TRAIN

2010-03-06T14:37:00.005-05:00

In September of 1854, the first ORPHAN TRAIN departed New York City for the state of Michigan with 46 boys ranging in age from 7 to 15. In the following 75 years, over 250,000 children would be transported from east coast cities to communities in every one of the 48 contiguous states. Most, however, were concentrated in the Midwest. While many of the children were indeed orphans, there were just as many half orphans, as well as children who were abandoned by living parents who could not care for them. Taken from orphanages as well as off the streets of the cities, these children would travel together either in boxcars or in passenger cars with their passage donated by the railroad companies or purchased at a reduced rate by the sending agency. The above picture is a Boys Cottage at the Children's Village - an orphanage in Dobbs Ferry on Long Island where my grandfather Oliver Nordmark spent one year before being chosen to ride the train to Bern, Kansas.

With some variability, the orphan trains worked basically like this: Notices would be sent to newspapers in farm communities along the train's route announcing the date and time that a "company of orphan children, under the auspices of The Children's Aid Society" would be arriving in town. Farmers and merchants were encouraged to come and see the children, hear the address to be given by the Escort explaining where the children were from and that they were in search of homes, and then hopefully leave with a new child in tow. Once the train arrived in town, the children were taken to whatever large gathering place was available in town. Often times this was an Opera House where vaudeville performances were frequently staged. If not an Opera House, perhaps a town hall or large church. The children would be lined up on chairs on the stage of the Opera House and then the townspeople would come in, hear the address, then walk along the line of children, inspecting them, and perhaps choosing one to take home. People taking children were expected to treat them as their own children, properly clothe and feed them, send them to school and sunday school, and have them help out on the farm and around the house.

Once placed in a new home, the plan was for a representative of the placing agency to go and check on each child at least once a year to make sure that everything was okay and that both the child and the family were happy with the placement. In truth, this did not always happen. Imagine a train full of 30 children stopping in one small town and those children chosen by farmers who had come in to town that day. Farmers may have traveled as much as 30-40 miles to be there for the train's arrival. With children disbursed at a 40 mile radius around the town, it was not always possible for the agent to get to every child. So, what might happen is that the agent might ask about a particular child while in town and get a good report from a teacher or merchant who knew the family. Or, as has been reported by riders themselves, the agent would always come when the child was at school and the foster parent would vouch for the placement when in fact, the child was terribly unhappy or even abused. The system was not without flaws, that's for sure.

Any child not chosen during the stop would board the train and travel to the next town on the route to try again. If any children remained when the train reached the end of the line, they would travel back to NYC to try again another day on another route. The more the railroad system was built up, the further west, south and north the children traveled.

CHECK BACK SOON to see how the Sisters of Charity operated their "BABY TRAINS"!

SISTER MARY IRENE FITZGIBBON

2010-02-17T21:17:00.003-05:00

Around the same time that Reverend Brace was beginning his work on behalf of the homeless children in New York City, another person of faith, Sister Mary Irene Fitzgibbon of the Sisters of Charity, felt God’s calling as well. With beginning capital of just five dollars, Sister Irene sought help from charitable women and raised enough money to rent a small house located at 17 E. 12th Street where, on October 11, 1869 she began preparations for opening what would be called the New York Foundling Hospital. The mission would be to save the thousands of infants and very young children who were being left to perish in alley ways and trash heaps around the city. Appropriately enough, October 11th is the Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Sister Irene, along with the other Sisters of Charity, intended to take three months to get the home ready to open, but on the very first night an infant was left on the front steps and without ceremony, the Foundling Home was in operation. By January 1, 1870, when the Sisters had originally intended to open their doors, they had 123 babies in residence.

Placing a white cradle in the foyer of the Home, while leaving the front door unlocked, word was sent out that a desperate mother could enter the Home and leave her child in the cradle with no questions asked. All the Sisters asked was that when leaving, the mother ring the bell by the front door so that the Sisters would know that there was a new little one to be gathered up and brought upstairs with the other babies.

Prior to the opening of the Foundling Home, abandoned infants found alive on the streets were taken by police to Blackwell’s Island (a prison and workhouse) where they were cared for by aging prisoners. Few survived infancy.

In the following six years, the NY Foundling home relocated twice to larger buildings to accommodate more children. By 1876 it became apparent that another solution was needed to solve the problem of homeless infants….Mercy Trains, or Baby Trains as they were sometime called, would be the answer….

REVEREND CHARLES LORING BRACE

2010-02-09T20:01:00.006-05:00

A well-to-do Connecticut minister, Rev. Charles Loring Brace was born in Hartford in 1826. After completing his education, he felt a calling toward missionary work as opposed to church ministry. Brace did not believe in “survival of the fittest” but felt instead, that there was much society could do to improve the lives of the very poorest classes. After working in NYC’s Blackwell’s Island Prison, he was convinced that the adult poor were a hopeless cause and from that time forward, devoted his efforts to saving the children of poverty in the city.

Brace established the Children’s Aid Society in 1853. His first efforts included lodging houses for the thousands of newsboys who lived on the streets, as well as industrial schools, a farm school and even a summer home on Long Island. But his most ambitious endeavor, and the one for which he will forever be known, was “placing out."

Rev. Brace strongly believed that the best place for a child to grow up was in the home of a Christian farmer. With an idealized view of what life was like in the West, and the realization that the growing number of homeless children in the city would one day translate into a serious crime problem, Brace began his “placing out” program in 1854 with a group of boys traveling to Michigan. The effort was a success and began what would be a seventy-five year movement on the part of the Children’s Aid Society to save more than 100,000 urban children living in poverty.

Upon his death in 1890, Brace’s sons, Robert and Charles took over their father’s work through the Children’s Aid Society until their retirements in 1931 and 1927 respectively. The brothers established many new in-city programs to help the poor, including the foster home programs, but they continued to support their father’s work of relocation.

The Children’s Aid Society is still in operation today and still helping children both in urban and rural settings. They were instrumental in helping my father and his siblings during the Great Depression….but I’m getting ahead of myself!

Check back next week for the story of Sister Irene Fitzgibbon of the Sisters of Charity followed by an examination of just exactly HOW the placing out process worked……

HOW IT BEGAN......

2010-02-01T16:45:00.001-05:00

In the middle of the 1800’s, New York City was awash with immigrants from European countries. From 1840-1860, 4 million people entered the city through Ellis Island and amazingly, most of them stayed. With barriers related to language, transportation and income, new arrivals were soon confronted with the reality of their new life. The Land of Milk and Honey with Streets Paved in Gold was in fact, a crude existence plagued with overcrowding, a shortage of jobs, unsanitary living conditions, and difficult - often heartwrenching - decisions.

With no social programs available (no food stamps, workman’s compensation, unemployment, welfare, etc.) families were left to their own devices. If a father was hurt on the job and left unable to work, there would always be another immigrant ready to take his place. Often, with a lack of resources and a growing number of children to try and care for, parents were forced to make the difficult choice of sending their older children (ages 8 and up) out on the streets to fend for themselves.

Commonly known as “street arabs” “waifs” or “street urchins”, these children would often band together in small groups for protection and friendship. Selling newspapers, shining shoes, or begging a few coins was their only means of support. By 1853 it is estimated that 30,000 children were living on the streets of New York City. This growing problem was soon to be addressed by two people: Reverend Charles Loring Brace of Connecticut, and Sister Mary Irene Fitzgibbons of the Sisters of Charity. Both Rev. Brace and Sister Irene felt called by God to help the thousands of children who not only struggled to eek out their existence, but also posed a growing threat to the crime problem in the city.
More to come…..

BIG NEWS for the history of the ORPHAN TRAINS!

2010-01-23T16:26:00.002-05:00

The NEW YORK TIMES this morning has a story in THE ARTS section that is sure to set the orphan train world abuzz! The Historical Society is going to open a Children's Museum that will focus on the stories of children - including the children who rode the ORPHAN TRAINS from NYC to parts West! This is amazing news for all of us who desperately want to see this forgotton piece of history brought back to life for generations to come! Read more here:

http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/122521.html

BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL

2010-01-23T09:01:00.001-05:00

My joint application, along with author Melissa Foster http://www.megansway.com/ has been submitted to the selection committee for the 2010 BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL to be held September 24th, 25th and 26th in the Mt. Vernon section of Baltimore. If selected, we will be in the Literary Exhibitors area in a 10x10 booth presenting, discussing, signing and selling our books. I have also submitted an application to give a presentation in the Children's Tent on the Orphan Train Movement. This event attracts upwards of 55,000 attendees and is sure to be a great experience! Check out more about the Festival at http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/

Here We Go.....

2010-01-19T19:43:00.000-05:00

As the author of two books on America's Orphan Trains, the granddaughter of an Orphan Train Rider, and a public speaker on the subject at both schools and community organizations, I have started this blog to give an estimated 250,000 children a chance to claim their place back in America's history books. Thankfully, I am not alone. The National Orphan Train Complex http://www.orphantraindepot.com/ , which opened in 2007 in Concordia Kansas, is a small museum dedicated to the history and preservation of this movement. There are several excellent books on the subject and a handful of speakers available around the country to share the story.

"Has anyone ever heard of the Orphan Trains?" It's a question that I often use to begin a presentation on the subject. The answer is almost always, "No." After hearing about the history of the Orphan Trains, I remember one woman in her 70's commenting, "I can't believe that happened in my country!" People are astounded that they have never heard of this 75 year period of migration of youth from East coast cities - mainly NYC - to farming communities in the Midwest in search of homes. How could this be? Could something that went on for all those years, touching that many children really fall from our consciousness? Yes.

In the coming weeks and months I will share with you not only the history of the Orphan Trains, but also the various efforts that are being made on behalf of all those children - of whom it is estimated less than 200 still survive. I will also blog about my upcoming book tour to Salina, Kansas in April, 2010. Sponsored by the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission, I will be speaking at 15+ schools and community gatherings as well as a fundraiser for the museum in Concordia. Stay tuned......

Donna Aviles
www.orphantrainbook.com