This week our second granddaughter (in age), Christie Ernsbarger, is in Washington, D.C. as a participant in the National History Day, representing the State of Arkansas. Recently, she completed eighth grade and is participating in the junior division with an individual performance.

Christie represented her Conway, Ark., school in the district contest by finishing in the top three. She had the opportunity to participate in the state competition. In that event there were two selected to go to the national event, both of them are from the same school. This is a great honor for Christie and she was thrilled with having the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C.

Her sister, Heather, has participated in group presentation the past three years in the national event. Last year her topic was related to Ireland. As a result her team was the top team with this subject and they were selected for a trip to Ireland. Christie was not to be out done by her sister, so she participated this year for the first time and also got to go to Washington, D. C.

It was somewhat a surprise when she announced that she was going to go as an individual performance. As result she did not have any teammates, she was on her own. It is not easy to prepare and participate in this event, but it provides a good learning experience.

The first thing she had to do was select a topic; this in itself is a challenge. Once a subject is selected, then research on the topic is needed. Then the participant has to develop a script for the performance as well as select the props and the proper custom(s) for the subject.

The title she selected was, "Small Hands That Helped Build the West: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Orphan Trains." While she was here this spring, I asked her to give her script, even though she did not have the props and the other things she used for the presentation. She did not ever give it, only commenting that it is sad. Others who had watched her cried while viewing her presentation.

You may have heard about the orphan trains some time, but most likely you are not familiar with the train. Probably most of us are in that category. One of the requirements is to hand manuscripts to the judges that contain information about the performance, including the references.

She sent me a summary of her preparation for the presentation and a bibliography list with a summary of information she used from each bibliography.

The following is information she wrote in her words:

"We cannot afford to have Kansas made a dumping ground for dependent children of other states, especially New York." William Stanley, the governor of Kansas, spoke these frustrated words in 1899 for one reason -- the phenomenon of the orphan trains. This attempt to remove thousands of homeless children from the streets and from institutional settings in the East created a forced migration full of triumph and tragedy. These trains were founded by two institutions, The Children's Aid Society and the Founding Hospital of New York. Charles Brace, once an orphan himself, founded the former, while the Catholic Sisters of Mercy ran the latter. The orphan trains lasted from 1854 until the 1930s. Their impact is still alive today.

I started my research on the Internet, connecting myself to multiple newspaper articles, emotional poems, and an assortment of other information resources. I continued my research at several local libraries, encountering invaluable books. I discussed my topic with relatives and broadened my research through them. I also located eye-opening photographs from the time.

I began the process by deciding to create an individual performance. This topic had to be both dramatic and inspirational, "triumphant and tragic." I was in Missouri visiting family when I heard my mother talking to my aunt about orphan trains and about how I was related by marriage to a girl named Irma Craig. Irma rode these orphan trains. Listening to her almost poetic story, I had an epiphany. I had found my History Day topic.

After I became more familiar with this topic I began to compile a script. After meeting with my teacher for almost nine revisions, this task was complete. I practiced on Saturdays and stayed late after school. I also considered costuming and set creation. I received advise from my teachers and family and with their help my act and costumes were born.

For almost 80 years, it was calculated that up to 200,000 orphans were relocated west. As the harshness of child labor worsened, both congress and society took notice. Legislative action, such as the Child Labor laws prevented such happenings. Even still, no mechanisms existed to protect children, such as the Department of Human Services of today. Despite the good intention of the trains, certain tragedies followed -- families were ripped at the seams, children were severely overworked, and their innocent lives were scarred by psychological trauma. In this background of tragedy, certain triumph was undeniable. Thousands were removed from the streets and institutional settings and some were adopted by loving nurturing parents. These small hands helped to build the west. Thousands went on to become productive citizens, but for many, this triumph was not everything for which their young hearts yearned.