This press release was received from the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota:
47th Annual Minnesota Orphan Train Riders and Friends Annual Meeting
Have you ever wondered about the history of the Orphan Trains? From 1854-1929, an estimated 250,000+ children born in New York road the Orphan Trains to find new homes throughout the United States.
On September 22, orphans, their families, friends and all interested individuals are invited to attend the 47th Annual Minnesota Orphan Train Riders and Friends Annual Meeting at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls.
Event registration begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by a short business meeting at 9 a.m., and group photos at 10 a.m. This year’s guest speaker, Charlotte Endorf, author of numerous books on orphan trains, will dress in 1800s attire, bring her books to life. In addition to lunch, activities for the day include a silent auction, sharing of orphan train rider stories, updates and much fellowship.
For more information, contact Sister Christelle Watercott at 320-632-0695 or email info@fslf.org.
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Several orphans from the Orphan Trains ended up finding new homes in Morrison County. The Franciscan Sisters had an orphanage in Little Falls and some Orphan Train children stayed there.
Our book club is reading an Orphan Train book and I’m doing some research on the Orphan Train reunion. The last data I find on line is from 2007. Has there been a reunion since or is there one planned?
Thank you! Pamela
Hi, Pamela – The best place to go for information on Orphan Train reunions is to the Franciscan Sisters Convent in Little Falls. They take the lead on this event and have an extensive archive of their organizational activities. You can reach the Franciscans by calling 320-632-2981.