As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more appreciative of not just history, but Shreveport, and Louisiana history. I still miss Eric Brock’s columns in the paper, and love to talk with former Registrar of Voters and Shreveport historian and author Ernie Roberson. So when I came across this fascinating Louisiana story, I just had to share it.
From Orphan Train to Louisiana Town Mayor
In April 1907, the city of Opelousas experienced a day unlike any other. Word had spread that a trainload of children from New York City was on its way. Families filled the Southern Pacific depot near Grolee Street, spilling into nearby streets and businesses as they waited. Their pastor, Father John Engberink of St. Landry Catholic Church, had arranged for the orphans’ arrival and worked with parishioners to find homes. The scene was so lively that one local later described it as “a circus of people.”
Why the Orphan Trains Came South
The orphan train movement began in the mid-1800s as New York City struggled with poverty, overcrowding, and disease. Thousands of children, often left parentless, ended up in orphanages that were filled far beyond capacity. Reformers and religious leaders believed that placing children with rural families could offer them stability and opportunity. By the early 1900s, trains carried children to towns across the Midwest and South, with Louisiana becoming one of the most frequent destinations.
The Sisters of Charity, working through the New York Foundling Hospital, oversaw many of these placements. Each child traveled with a number pinned to their clothing, matched with a Louisiana family already approved by church leaders.
The Arrival in Opelousas
On a spring day in 1907, the first group of children stepped off the train into Opelousas. Father Engberink stood on a platform and called out numbers, pairing children with families who held matching tags. The process continued late into the night as dozens of children found new homes across St. Landry Parish and surrounding communities.
One of those children was a two-year-old boy wearing badge number 31. His name was Martin Arvine.
Growing Up a Roy
Martin was welcomed into the home of Arthur and Eva Roy. Though his earliest records in New York are sparse, only a baptismal entry survives, his new life in Louisiana took root quickly. The Roys spoke only French, so Martin adapted to their language before later relearning English in school…