Welcome to Pullman

Welcome to Pullman. . , The Pullman Company, founded by industrialist George Pullman, built world-famous railroad cars here from 1881 until 1968., The Pullman Palace Car Company's signature product was the sleeping car, a luxurious fast-moving full-service "palace" that made travelers feel like royalty. The company's trademarked motto was "Travel and sleep in safety and comfort.", Visionary company founder George Pullman set a new, high standard for luxury travel, building and operating railroad cars with Pullman porters, waiters, cooks, maids, and conductors. Workers in Pullman's shops and yards and aboard trains fought for, and eventually won, recognition of their workplace rights as Americans., George Pullman built an entire town for workers and their families, hoping to attract, retain, and control a steady workforce. The social experiment of the company running both the town and train car shops lasted only 17 years. In 1898, the Illinois Supreme Court forced the Pullman Company to sell everything except the shops., While only remnants of the massive Pullman Car Works still stand, the Town of Pullman remains a vibrant neighborhood of diverse and creative people. Thank you for respecting residents' privacy. Enjoy your visit., [Captions:] , Left George Pullman's magisterial pose expresses his power as a wealthy industrialist. Born in 1831 in western New York, Pullman left grade school to go to work because of his family's poverty., Above A Pullman conductor smiles at waiting passengers, while a Pullman porter helps a young child board a steel Pullman sleeping car. This scene was carefully staged along the 111th Street side of the Rear Erecting Shops during the 1900s to represent Pullman reliability, safety, and comfort., Bottom Left Children play along Ericsson Avenue (now Maryland Avenue) at 104th Street in the 1890s. Note the wood-plank sidewalk and unpaved street.