The Orphan Trains: The movement that brought hundreds of New York orphans to Louisiana communities - American Press

The Orphan Trains: The movement that brought hundreds of New York orphans to Louisiana communities - American Press

Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated 350,000 orphaned, abandoned or homeless children were transported to rural communities across America — including Louisiana — in search of a better life. At the heart of this movement was a crisis in New York City. Driven by an influx of thousands of immigrants every day, the city had become unsustainably overcrowded. “There were too many people, nowhere to live, and a severe lack of jobs, which brought a wave…