Intimate Conversations with Contemporary Authors ORPHAN TRAIN RIDERS By Thomas Riley

Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 2:00pm
Thomas Riley is the author of two books on the Orphan Train Era (1854-1929). During this period, over 273,000 children were transported across the country by rail in the largest mass movement of children in American history. In his presentation, Mr. Riley will share his research, by which an estimate of 50,000-70,000 of those children were of Italian ancestry. Today it is estimated that 2,000,000 Americans are descendants of the Orphan Train Riders. Mr. Riley is the President of the Rockland County Genealogical Society who is establishing an Orphan Train Museum in the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum. Five dollars from each book sold will go toward the Museum which will open in April of 2015.
Suggested donation $10. Registration is required.