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Marilyn Irvin Holt

The Orphan Trains: Placing Out in America Paperback – February 1, 1994

by Marilyn Irvin Holt (Author)

85 ratings

Part of: Bison Book (1 books)

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"From 1850 to 1930 America witnessed a unique emigration and resettlement of at least 200,000 children and several thousand adults, primarily from the East Coast to the West. This 'placing out,' an attempt to find homes for the urban poor, was best known by the 'orphan trains' that carried the children. Holt carefully analyzes the system, initially instituted by the New York Children's Aid Society in 1853, tracking its imitators as well as the reasons for its creation and demise. She captures the children's perspective with the judicious use of oral histories, institutional records, and newspaper accounts. This well-written volume sheds new light on the multifaceted experience of children's immigration, changing concepts of welfare, and Western expansion. It is good, scholarly social history."-Library Journal Marilyn Irvin Holt, former director of publications at the Kansas State Historical Society; is a freelance editor, writer, and researcher and teaches historical editing at the University of Kansas.

Print length

264 pages
Language

English
Publisher

BISON BOOKS
Publication date

February 1, 1994
Dimensions

5.51 x 0.58 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0803272650
ISBN-13

978-0803272651
Lexile measure

1430L
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A history of the emigration policies instituted between 1850 and 1930 to resettle the urban poor from the East Coast to the West.

Review

"As a portrait of the time's charitable networks, The Orphan Trains succeeds. . . . [Holt's] work brings to light a meaningful concept: the idea that charity; then and now, is sometimes tinged with greed, indifference, hostility, self-promotion and is an institution that can serve the giver more than the receiver."

"From 1850 to 1930 America witnessed a unique emigration and resettlement of at least 200,000 children and several thousand adults, primarily from the East Coast to the West. This 'placing out, ' an attempt to find homes for the urban poor, was best known by the 'orphan trains' that carried the children. Holt carefully analyzes the system, initially instituted by the New York Children's Aid Society in 1853, tracking its imitators as well as the reasons for its creation and demise. She captures the children's perspective with the judicious use of oral histories, institutional records, and newspaper accounts. This well-written volume sheds new light on the multifaceted experience of children's immigration, changing concepts of welfare, and Western expansion. It is good, scholarly social history."-Library Journal

"Soon there will be no memories of the little companies, ' as they were called, of children setting out with an adult leader for a new life. This little book is kind of a preservation movement, and a contribution to our understanding of how the West was won."

Publisher ‏ : ‎ BISON BOOKS; Reprint edition (February 1, 1994)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803272650
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803272651
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1430L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 0.58 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #266,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #248 in Adoption (Books)
- #12,539 in United States History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
85 ratings

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4 star		21%
3 star		14%
2 star		2%
1 star		5%

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bruce p. schoch

Don't Try This at Home!

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is a very detailed account of the "outplacement" of admittedly selective populations of orphans from Eastern city slums to the Mid-West and the West from just before the Civil War to the culmination of the Progressive Era after WW I. The author takes great care to point out that the Orphan Trains did not solve urban slum issues and that intentions for the most part were laudable. She centers her work on the exemplary New York Children's Aid Society with its network of religious and secular resources. While considerable care was taken in selection of children to place out for adoption, the reception of these children in the West was often haphazard. Dickensian in inspiration, the movement tried to fill a void which gradually became recognized as a State responsibility in the 20th Century. It is a surprisingly easy read for such a gritty subject, and very well documented. It is my fervent hope that officials now overseeing a comparable crisis do not attempt to replicate this noble experiment...

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BDA

A great start on an important story

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is a well researched, clearly written effort to understand a major event in US history that is little understood. My grandfather and his brother were on an orphan train that left NYC and went to the Northernmost area of NY around the turn of the century. There my grandfather, the youngest and smallest of the children, was finally taken by a childless farm couple. His life was hard but this book brings home the question he might well have asked himself . . . was it better to have been worked so very hard by a miserable (?) old man until he was old enough to leave or have remained in poverty surrounded by disease with no one able to care for him? And, at least Mrs. W was apparently kind to him. That must have been worth a lot. We know very few details so reading this book (even though it reads like a PH.D. dissertation) gave us some insights. With any luck, this book will unlock some untold stories of these children.

9 people found this helpful

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Robert L. Hammond, Jr.

Westward Ho

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book talks about the Children's Aid Society and other plans to bring children and women to the Western States. It is very interesting, but can be a little slow. The author does a great job in explaining the economic conditions of the times and their plans to address the orphans in the East.

Helpful

Becky C

Orphan Trains is a Fascinating Account

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2009

Verified Purchase

The Orphan Trains, by Marilyn Irvin Holt, is simply excellent. The book is extremely well-written and absolutely riveting. Holt carefully documents her work.

I particularly enjoyed the author's discussion of how child rearing views were changing during this time in American history. It was fascinating to read because it clearly paves the way for why the "placing out" of these children was seen as such an excellent idea. Shipping these children off to other parts of the country seemed completely justifiable when one considers the alternative facing these children. Indeed, the idea of "placing out" isn't so bad considering what happens to so many young children now raised in poverty in the ghettos of this nation.

The United States was not the first country to come up with the idea of placing out. Holt points out that other countries also used this idea for "getting rid" of the impoverished. In this country, however, placing out definitely was a movement that started with well meaning motives. The idea was to salvage these often abandoned, neglected impoverished children and send them to good homes in the West where, coincidentally, their labor was also often needed.

Holt's discussion of this event is just extremely well presented. She is factual and not judgmental. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in societal changes. From this episode in history came the beginnings of social work. It also raises interesting questions about how children are dealt with nowadays where they are often left with birth parents to the extreme detriment of the child. It makes placing out seem rather desirable.

26 people found this helpful

Helpful

fletchmar

" She enjoyed learning some of the history behind the event and ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

This was a gift for a friend whose family "adopted" an orphan from the train in 1920s South Dakota when she was a small child and did not really understand why all of a sudden she had a new "sister." She enjoyed learning some of the history behind the event and told me she would recommend both books to others who want to learn more about this little known part of US history. She read this book along with "We Rode the Orphan Trains," which shared personal stories of these children.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Mediocre

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2021

Verified Purchase

Bioknwas ok, but rather a dull read.

Helpful

Sharp

Definitely an aspect of American history that you should be aware of

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2014

Verified Purchase

The concept was great, and I learned a lot about a part of American history that I had been unaware of. The 3 stars is not due to it being 'bad,' but based on the a missed opportunity to take the research farther into the future that these children and the communities that took them in faced. I found myself skimming the content rather than really being engaged.

3 people found this helpful

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Juanita J. Nicholson

Good Book.

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

Bought as a gift, recipient was very pleased with the book.

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Top reviews from other countries

Molly Bloom

A bit of obscure American history explained

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2014

Verified Purchase

An American friend read a novel about the orphan trains so I bought a non-fiction book about it -- worth every penny! It's a clear explanation of a phenomenon in American history which I never knew existed.

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