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| ORPHAN TRAIN MERGER CREATES SOLE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION |
At its annual meeting held in Concordia this past September, membership of the
Orphan Train Heritage Society of America, Inc., formerly headquartered in
Springdale, Arkansas, voted to merge their organization with the National
Orphan Train Complex. The merger, to take effect at the end of December, will
create a single, national entity. Orphan Train Heritage Society of America,
President, Becky Higgins, Streamwood, IL, felt the merger was in the best
interest of both organizations now that the Concordia Orphan Train museum
and research center is open to the public.
Mary Ellen Johnson, Springdale, AR, founder of the Orphan Train Heritage
Society of America, started her Orphan Train research for a local history
project. Before long, however, Johnson’s “small” project blew the lid off a
chapter in human history that had been silent too long. That was in l986. By
2003, Johnson had published a number of books filled with Orphan Train rider
stories, issued a pile of quarterly newsletters for Orphan Train enthusiasts, while
continuing to gather materials and network with anyone interested in the historic
treasure trove she had helped unearth. Responses to having one of her stories
featured on television’s “Unsolved Mysteries,” filled two full tapes on Johnson’s
home answering machine.
Interesting as it continued to be, after 16 years, Johnson was ready to turn her
work over to a museum dedicated to keeping Orphan Train history alive. That
was when members of Concordia’s fledgling Orphan Train committee crossed
paths with Mary Ellen Johnson. Once Johnson learned of the local Orphan
Train project she, along with her husband and sister-in-law, came to Concordia.
That was 2003 before restoration work on the Union Pacific depot had even
begun. However, Johnson said she had a good feeling about the committee’s
plans as well as Concordia and its central national location.
After her visit, Johnson used her considerable influence to persuade the
Orphan Train Heritage Society of America to transfer its operations from
Springdale, AR to Concordia. The decision was made official in 2004, when the
move was announced at the Concordia Chamber Annual Meeting. Several
months later, the contents of Mary Ellen Johnson’s Springdale office were
loaded up and trucked to Concordia – including the invaluable Orphan Train
archives, artifacts, research materials and publications. Until the depot museum
and new Morgan Dowell Research Center opened, Orphan Train operations
were conducted from donated space in Radio Shack and Century 21.
As construction on the 3rd St. and Washington site began, a fulltime
professional curator, Stephanie Haiar, came on board to operate the museum
and maintain the Orphan Train collection. Since the museum’s Grand Opening
three months ago, Haiar has logged over 1,300 visitors through the Complex. A
number of these visitors have been students from the area who have come with
their instructors, to do research.
As the dissolution of the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America nears, many
of the unique programs begun and fostered by the organization will continue.
Most importantly, founder Mary Ellen Johnson, will become an ex-officio member
of the merged organization.
As part of the merger with OTHSA, NOTC will be taking over the national
membership. The membership will remain the same as it has been with OTHSA
for twenty years, but we will also be adding a few special opportunities.
The annual membership, which includes the quarterly newsletter Crossroads,
will still be $25. We will be honoring all memberships already paid for 2008 and
all lifetime memberships through OTHSA.
Members will also be given the opportunity to join the membership at the
different levels outline below. At each level, the member receives the items
under that category as well the items in all the previous levels.
As with OTHSA, this is a way for NOTC to support itself and the
exhibits/programs available to its membership and the public. To become a
member of "Friends of NOTC" click here.
Susan Sutton
NOTC President
Orphan Train Heritage Society of America, Inc., formerly headquartered in
Springdale, Arkansas, voted to merge their organization with the National
Orphan Train Complex. The merger, to take effect at the end of December, will
create a single, national entity. Orphan Train Heritage Society of America,
President, Becky Higgins, Streamwood, IL, felt the merger was in the best
interest of both organizations now that the Concordia Orphan Train museum
and research center is open to the public.
Mary Ellen Johnson, Springdale, AR, founder of the Orphan Train Heritage
Society of America, started her Orphan Train research for a local history
project. Before long, however, Johnson’s “small” project blew the lid off a
chapter in human history that had been silent too long. That was in l986. By
2003, Johnson had published a number of books filled with Orphan Train rider
stories, issued a pile of quarterly newsletters for Orphan Train enthusiasts, while
continuing to gather materials and network with anyone interested in the historic
treasure trove she had helped unearth. Responses to having one of her stories
featured on television’s “Unsolved Mysteries,” filled two full tapes on Johnson’s
home answering machine.
Interesting as it continued to be, after 16 years, Johnson was ready to turn her
work over to a museum dedicated to keeping Orphan Train history alive. That
was when members of Concordia’s fledgling Orphan Train committee crossed
paths with Mary Ellen Johnson. Once Johnson learned of the local Orphan
Train project she, along with her husband and sister-in-law, came to Concordia.
That was 2003 before restoration work on the Union Pacific depot had even
begun. However, Johnson said she had a good feeling about the committee’s
plans as well as Concordia and its central national location.
After her visit, Johnson used her considerable influence to persuade the
Orphan Train Heritage Society of America to transfer its operations from
Springdale, AR to Concordia. The decision was made official in 2004, when the
move was announced at the Concordia Chamber Annual Meeting. Several
months later, the contents of Mary Ellen Johnson’s Springdale office were
loaded up and trucked to Concordia – including the invaluable Orphan Train
archives, artifacts, research materials and publications. Until the depot museum
and new Morgan Dowell Research Center opened, Orphan Train operations
were conducted from donated space in Radio Shack and Century 21.
As construction on the 3rd St. and Washington site began, a fulltime
professional curator, Stephanie Haiar, came on board to operate the museum
and maintain the Orphan Train collection. Since the museum’s Grand Opening
three months ago, Haiar has logged over 1,300 visitors through the Complex. A
number of these visitors have been students from the area who have come with
their instructors, to do research.
As the dissolution of the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America nears, many
of the unique programs begun and fostered by the organization will continue.
Most importantly, founder Mary Ellen Johnson, will become an ex-officio member
of the merged organization.
As part of the merger with OTHSA, NOTC will be taking over the national
membership. The membership will remain the same as it has been with OTHSA
for twenty years, but we will also be adding a few special opportunities.
The annual membership, which includes the quarterly newsletter Crossroads,
will still be $25. We will be honoring all memberships already paid for 2008 and
all lifetime memberships through OTHSA.
Members will also be given the opportunity to join the membership at the
different levels outline below. At each level, the member receives the items
under that category as well the items in all the previous levels.
As with OTHSA, this is a way for NOTC to support itself and the
exhibits/programs available to its membership and the public. To become a
member of "Friends of NOTC" click here.
Susan Sutton
NOTC President