Iowa Public Television will air the documentary “West by Orphan Train” today, March 8, at 1:05 pm and again this Tuesday, March 10, at 5:25 pm on IPTV World. Journalist Colleen Bradford Krantz of Adel is director, co-writer and co-producer of the documentary. She will speak about orphan trains in Jefferson Tuesday, March 31, at 2 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson.
The broadcast is timely for Greene County residents for another reason. The Greene County librarians have selected Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline for the Greene County Reads discussions in April.
Orphan trains, which were a precursor to the foster care system, transported nearly 250,000 children from East Coast orphanages to the Midwest, where the children were available “for the picking.” The practice was used from 1854 to 1929. Some of the children were raised in loving homes; others were exploited as laborers in harsh conditions. The documentary “West by Orphan Train” and the fictional Orphan Train tell stories of those children.
The Greene County Reads discussions have been set for Thursday, April 16, at 9 am in Churdan, at 2 pm in Rippey, and at 7 pm in Scranton.
Watch for more information about Krantz’s presentation in Jefferson and about the book discussions.
To see a preview of “West by Orphan Train,” click here: http://westbyorphantrain.com/
