A Franklin County Historical Society virtual program on October 12, 2021 revisited the orphan train movement and its local impact on families and communities in eastern Kansas.

The talk discussed how children from eastern cities were placed with Midwestern families, including some in Franklin County communities. It also emphasized the mixed outcomes of the system, from stable homes to difficult labor arrangements and family separation.

The program linked a national social history story to local records and family memory in the Ottawa area.

For more, see the Old Depot Museum's program page.