October Webinar | Home Children and Orphan Trains: North American Child Migration Schemes of the 19th and 20th Centuries | Kate Penney Howard
Uncover the identity of an Orphan Train rider through a combined use of DNA and historical documentation in this revealing case study.
Between 1854 and 1969, hundreds of thousands of children were transported from Europe or East Coast cities to families across North America, and Australia, often with minimal documentation of their origins.
This session explores the different schemes and follows children’s journey from mystery to identification, demonstrating how to navigate placement society records, utilize DNA matches strategically, and piece together fragmented evidence to reveal biological family connections. You’ll learn specialized techniques for researching institutionalized children and gain practical strategies for combining genetic evidence with historical documentation in these uniquely challenging cases.
Kate Penney Howard
Kate Penney Howard is a genetic genealogist, specializing in brick wall work, HighRoH, and endogamy. During a bout with cancer, she discovered that she loves sharing her knowledge with other genealogists. She is intentional about addressing injustice and myths in her presentations.
Kate has presented at Rootstech, East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference, the International Congress on Medieval Studies, NAAP/RTK’s Untangling Our Roots, and the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 2025 speaking engagements include Rootstech, Ohio Genealogical Society 2025, and Ontario Ancestors Webinar Series, as well as local library and genealogical society gatherings.
Kate studied vocal music and earned a Master of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis in 2011, and has been pastor of North Christian Church since her ordination in 2012.
