Events › Excess Baggage: Riding the Orphan Train

Between 1854 and 1929, thousands of orphans were sent on trains to the “Wild West” to be adopted…or used as free labor. Charlotte Endorf traveled more than 15,000 miles, seeking the last surviving riders and descendants, to document the real-life stories of the children who rode the Orphan Trains. Dressed in period attire, she entertains and educates audiences of all ages about this little-known Nebraska history. She found she was related to an Orphan Train rider after thousands of miles of speaking about the subject. Could you be too?

This in-person program kicks off seven days of open-house genealogical activities and displays at Omaha Public Library's Genealogy & Local History Room as we celebrate Genealogy Week, culminating in National Genealogy Day on March 9.

About the Speaker

Charlotte Endorf is a lifelong Nebraskan. As a member of Toastmasters International, she has earned the Distinguished Toastmaster award twice. She specializes in speaking at museums, libraries, town festivals and senior centers throughout Nebraska, accurately revealing stories of amazing Nebraskans. She has written four books and produced two DVDs and a CD about the Orphan Trains, and took an actual 94-year-old Orphan Train rider to New York City to retrieve her 1917 records.

Humanities Nebraska (HN) provides major funding for this program. HN receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Nebraska State Legislature, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and private donations.