Did your ancestor take an "orphan train" out of the big city to a foster home in the country? Get on board to trace the roots of foster children from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Combing available sources
When searching for records on an orphan train rider, you should always start with interviewing relatives first, and then move on to local, state and national record sources, in that order. Don't overlook sources such as local genealogical societies, obituaries, and birth, marriage and death certificates when searching for clues.

Often, the local newspaper would write up a big story about the coming of the train and the placement of the children. The names and ages of the children, as well as the foster parents' names, are sometimes listed, too. Newspapers are available on microfilm through interlibrary loan. Start with your local library, and it will in turn consult larger libraries or state historical societies for this microfilm. Or visit your state historical society in person. Call ahead to confirm that it has newspapers covering the time period and city in question. The State Historical Society of Wisconsin www.shsw.wisc.edu/library has one of the largest newspaper collections in the United States.

Other records of interest are indenture, adoption and baptism records. The New York Foundling Hospital had children baptized before sending them on the trains. The New York Juvenile Asylum demanded indenture. The New England Home for Little Wanderers strongly recommended legal adoption. Though it may be difficult in some states to access indenture and adoption records, don't let this stop you from trying. The state of New York is particularly frustrating about opening adoption files, except under the most extreme circumstances. Indenture records were typically filed at the county courthouse, but over the years, they've found their way to local historical societies and college libraries, among other places.

Census records can be invaluable to the orphan train researcher. Both state and federal census records should be consulted. If you know the approximate area that your ancestor lived in, or if you happen to know the specific name of the orphanage that housed your ancestor, consulting the census records can yield results. You'll generally find a complete listing of the children, along with month, year, county and state of birth. If foreign-born, the country of birth will be listed, as well as the state or country of birth for the parents of the children. Prior to the 1900 census, you'll find all of the prior information, minus the month and year of birth. As with newspapers, microfilmed census records can also be ordered through interlibrary loan.

I now have a greater appreciation than ever before for my little grandmother, Emily, who was like a second mother to me while I was growing up. If she hadn't boarded that orphan train in New York in 1906, where would she have ended up? I hope that you, too, will be able to "connect" one of your family members to the orphan trains and find your place in this chapter of America's history.

Clark Kidder is a genealogist, freelance writer and author of Orphan Trains and Their Precious Cargo: The Life's Work of Rev. H.D. Clarke (Heritage Books, $24.95). He has traced his Kidder roots back to 1320 in Maresfield, Sussex, England. Kidder and his family reside in rural Wisconsin.