My grandmother was born in Manhattan in 1905. She wound up in Louisiana and was raised by a family in New Orleans, one of whom worked for Catholic Charties. The odd thing is that she was originally with (& assumed adopted by) a family named Morvant in Louisiana, but was "returned" (death of adopted parents??) by a man with same last name of her adopted father. My grandmother (Mary Louise Gonyea or Gaunya, plus variations) was born in St Ann's Maternity Hospital, and christened in St Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church...classic for orphan train riders. I managed to get a copy of her original NYC birth certificate and her parents were listed as Louise Gaunya, 21yrs & Gus Conlin, 23yrs. There was a Louise Gonyea or similar listed in the 1905 NYC Census taken 5 days before my grandmother was born. She was listed as a seamstress in the NY Foundling. My grandmother died searching for more info, but never found any. Does anyone know how I can find out if she was indeed on a orphan train? I can't think of any other way she'd have wound up in Louisiana, but I can't really assume this without proof. The Gaunya/Gonyea name has many variations, unfortunately.