College Club Presents Author, Tom Riley, "The Orphan Train"

Life in New York City in the 19th Century could be a brutal place for a child. When adults fell victim to alcoholism, prostitution or drug addiction, their children were the ones who suffered most. Charles Loren Brace, a CT minister was appalled when he visited New York City and found 15,000 homeless children sleeping in alleyways and sewer pipes. He was determined to change the situation. He founded the Children's Aid Society and got children out of the city into the fresh air countryside.