This is going to sound unbelievable but my brother was put up for adoption in 1948 in Iowa. I looked and posted on every board. Even went so far as to contact a service that located people. No answers. Then about 3 years ago I got a call out of the blue. It was my brother. He had all his adoption info his adopted family had kept for him and given his when he was 21. He never thought it was important. But as his parents dies and no siblings he started to think about finding out more info. He got my mom's obit and called me and my sister. We have a GREAT relationship. Like we always were together. So do not give up. I found in Iowa if you send the state and ask for unidentifiable info they will tell you some stuff. Also I think adoption records were not sealed until the 1940's and some birth certificates are available. Some counties recorded the birth and when child was adopted they taped white paper over the name. Rather easy to remove. My brother was in a home in Ottumwa close to Davenport and I had never seen anything about this place online or anywhere else. I don't know where you find all the orphanages listed?