Merci Train facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Merci Train |
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Photograph of box car from French "Merci train," a gift from France to the United States in grateful recognition of U.S. aid to France after World War II.
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The French Gratitude Train (French: Train de la reconnaissance française), commonly referred to as the Merci Train, were 49 World War I era "forty and eight" box cars gifted to the United States by France in response to the 1947 U.S. Friendship Train. It arrived in Weehawken, New Jersey on February 3, 1949.
Background
The idea to send a "thank you" gift to the United States for the $40 million in food and other supplies sent to France and Italy in 1947 came from a French railroad worker, and World War II veteran, named Andre Picard. Donations from the Merci Train came from over six million citizens of France and Italy in the form of dolls, statues, clothes, ornamental objects, furniture, and even a Legion of Honour medal purported to have belonged to Napoleon.
History
The box cars were "forty-and-eights" used during both world wars. The term refers to the cars' carrying capacity, said to be 40 men or eight horses. Built starting in the 1870s as regular freight box cars, they were originally used in military service by the French army in both World Wars, and then later used by the German occupation in World War II and finally by the Allied liberators.
In 1949, France sent 49 of those box cars to the United States (one for each state and the Territory of Hawaii) laden with various treasures, as a show of gratitude for the liberation of France. This train was called the Merci Train, and was sent in response to trains full (over 700 box cars) of supplies known as the Friendship Train sent by the American people to France in 1947. Each of the Merci Train box cars carried five tons of gifts, all of which were donated by private citizens.
The Train and all 49 cars arrived aboard the Magellan on February 3, 1949, with over 25,000 onlookers in attendance. On the side of the gift-laden French freighter was painted, "MERCI AMERICA". Immediately the trains were distributed amongst the states.
Box cars
The Merci Train box cars were opened and turned into travelling exhibits before each state committee distributed the entire contents. The 43 surviving box cars are on public display within each state as follows:
| Box car | Image | Location | City or town | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum 34°41′31″N 86°35′10″W / 34.692051°N 86.586194°W |
Huntsville | The Alabama State Archives has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Arizona |  |
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park 33°32′15″N 111°55′24″W / 33.537500°N 111.923333°W |
Scottsdale | The Arizona Capitol Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. |
| Arkansas | American Legion Post 41 34°31′39″N 90°35′18″W / 34.527528°N 90.588361°W |
Helena–West Helena | The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| California | American Legion Post 509 36°46′56″N 119°46′22″W / 36.782337°N 119.772787°W |
Fresno | ||
| Colorado | Unknown | The Woodruff Memorial Library has a collection of gifts from the box car. | ||
| Connecticut | Destroyed | The Abbey of Regina Laudis was gifted a French church bell from the box car. | ||
| Delaware | American Legion Post 6 38°38′39″N 75°36′33″W / 38.644101°N 75.609211°W |
Seaford | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 1320 of Sussex County | |
| Florida | Holly Hill City Hall 29°14′40″N 81°02′25″W / 29.244416°N 81.040179°W |
Holly Hill | The city hall has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Georgia |  |
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History 34°01′26″N 84°36′52″W / 34.024000°N 84.614400°W |
Kennesaw | The Georgia State Archives has a collection of gifts from the box car. |
| Idaho | Old Idaho State Penitentiary 43°36′10″N 116°09′43″W / 43.602700°N 116.162000°W |
Boise | The Idaho Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Illinois | Unknown | |||
| Indiana | Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum 41°05′36″N 85°14′46″W / 41.093330°N 85.246208°W |
Fort Wayne | The Fort Wayne History Center has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Iowa | Antique Acres 42°36′35″N 92°27′27″W / 42.609824°N 92.457628°W |
Cedar Falls | The Iowa Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Kansas | Veterans Memorial Park 38°52′19″N 99°18′03″W / 38.872050°N 99.300760°W |
Hays | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 1543 of Ellis County | |
| Kentucky |  |
Kentucky Railway Museum 37°39′26″N 85°35′36″W / 37.657103°N 85.593405°W |
New Haven | The Kentucky Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. |
| Louisiana |  |
Old Louisiana State Capitol 30°26′49″N 91°11′20″W / 30.446881°N 91.188861°W |
Baton Rouge | |
| Maine | Railway Village Museum 43°54′11″N 69°37′18″W / 43.902926°N 69.621776°W |
Boothbay | The Maine State Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Maryland |  |
B&O Railroad Museum 39°17′08″N 76°37′57″W / 39.285509°N 76.632619°W |
Baltimore | The Montgomery County Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. |
| Massachusetts | Destroyed | |||
| Michigan | American Legion Post 183 42°40′04″N 84°36′25″W / 42.667663°N 84.606928°W |
Lansing | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 946 of Eaton County. | |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Military Museum 46°04′52″N 94°20′49″W / 46.081073°N 94.347034°W |
Little Falls | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Grand Voiture du Minnesota. | |
| Mississippi | .jpg) |
Old GM&O Depot 32°17′55″N 90°10′45″W / 32.298546°N 90.179118°W |
Jackson | The Museum of Mississippi History has a collection of gifts from the box car. |
| Missouri | Dakotaland Museum 38°41′30″N 93°15′33″W / 38.691700°N 93.259033°W |
Sedalia | Owned and maintained by Forty and Eight Voiture 333 of Pettis County. | |
| Montana | Montana Military Museum 46°37′21″N 112°05′51″W / 46.622532°N 112.097600°W |
Fort Harrison | The Montana Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Nebraska | Destroyed | The Nebraska Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. | ||
| Nevada | Nevada State Railroad Museum 35°58′13″N 114°51′25″W / 35.970306°N 114.856810°W |
Carson City | The Nevada State Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| New Hampshire | 126 Reed St. 42°59′48″N 71°28′56″W / 42.996633°N 71.482133°W |
Manchester | Saint Anselm College has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| New Jersey | Destroyed | The New Jersey Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | ||
| New Mexico | Expo New Mexico 35°04′50″N 106°34′14″W / 35.080554°N 106.570564°W |
Albuquerque | The fair grounds has a collection of gifts from the boxcar. | |
| New York | Forty and Eight Voiture 92 43°06′41″N 75°20′48″W / 43.11138°N 75.346719°W |
Whitesboro | The Met has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Transportation Museum 35°41′15″N 80°26′00″W / 35.687539°N 80.433338°W |
Spencer | The North Carolina History Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Heritage Center 46°49′06″N 100°46′48″W / 46.818435°N 100.779894°W |
Bismarck | The North Dakota Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Ohio | Camp Perry 41°32′33″N 83°01′13″W / 41.542523°N 83.020277°W |
Near Port Clinton | The Ohio Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Oklahoma | J. D. McCarty Center 35°13′54″N 97°24′35″W / 35.231790°N 97.409588°W |
Norman | The Oklahoma History Center has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Oregon | Simpson Park 43°24′57″N 124°13′28″W / 43.415892°N 124.224374°W |
North Bend | The Benton County Historical Society has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Pennsylvania | Fort Indiantown Gap 40°25′56″N 76°34′12″W / 40.432089°N 76.569960°W |
Near Jonestown | The Blair County and Lycoming County historical societies have collections of gifts from the box car. | |
| Rhode Island | Museum of Work and Culture 41°59′57″N 71°30′58″W / 41.999296°N 71.516107°W |
Woonsocket | The museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| South Carolina | Memorial Park 34°13′10″N 80°14′51″W / 34.219331°N 80.247577°W |
Bishopville | ||
| South Dakota | State Fairgrounds 44°21′48″N 98°13′47″W / 44.363464°N 98.229703°W |
Huron | The Dakotaland Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Tennessee | American Legion Post 145 36°35′09″N 82°10′53″W / 36.585750°N 82.181491°W |
Bristol | The Tennessee State Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Texas | Texas Military Forces Museum 30°18′50″N 97°45′41″W / 30.313761°N 97.761278°W |
Camp Mabry | The Briscoe History Center has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Utah |  |
Utah State Railroad Museum 41°13′19″N 111°58′45″W / 41.222013°N 111.979280°W |
Ogden | |
| Vermont | Vermont National Guard Library and Museum 44°30′02″N 73°09′27″W / 44.500439°N 73.157397°W |
Colchester | The Vermont Historical Society and the Wood Art Gallery have collections of gifts from the box car. | |
| Virginia | Virginia War Museum 37°01′10″N 76°27′13″W / 37.019476°N 76.453647°W |
Newport News | ||
| Washington | Sarg Hubbard Riverside Park 46°36′07″N 120°28′29″W / 46.601932°N 120.474826°W |
Yakima | The Karshner Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| West Virginia | Veterans' Park 37°25′06″N 81°35′24″W / 37.418257°N 81.589946°W |
Welch | Tu-Endie-Wei State Park has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Wisconsin | |
National Railroad Museum 44°29′00″N 88°02′53″W / 44.483306°N 88.048000°W |
Ashwaubenon | The Hoard Historical Museum and the Wisconsin Historical Society have collections of gifts from the box car. |
| Wyoming | American Legion Post 6 41°08′18″N 104°47′38″W / 41.138219°N 104.793853°W |
Cheyenne | The Wyoming Museum has a collection of gifts from the box car. | |
| Territory of Hawaii | Hawaiian Railway Society 21°19′55″N 158°02′46″W / 21.331897°N 158.046105°W |
Ewa Beach |
