Author Robert Tabern (right) poses with Bill Heard (left), the son of a Pullman Porter, at Pullman National Monument
(Photo by Kandace Tabern)
As you can probably gather by
some of our earlier writings here on TrainWeb, and our leadership roles
in the Trails & Rails program, we both love visiting national parks
just as much as we do riding trains. So when we heard on the local news
that President Barack Obama had just declared potions of the Pullman
neighborhood a National Monument, we knew that we would have to plan a
visit there on our next available weekend. We ended up deciding to head
down there on the afternoon of Saturday, April 4, 2015. We also knew
the perfect person to ask to come with us... Bill Heard. Bill, who
lives in the Racine area of Wisconsin, is now 82 years old and was a
former Santa Fe and Amtrak employee. Robert met Bill a number of years
ago because Bill works for Amtrak photographing many events for the
company's newsletters. He can often be found traveling across the
country and taking pictures of various employee promotions,
retirements, and other special events. He can often be spotted running
around National Train Day in Chicago with his camera photographing all
of the events going on there. Bill even got to ride with us on the
Southwest Chief between Chicago and La Plata, Missouri in December 2013
when two of our volunteers played Santa and Mrs. Claus for all of the
children on the train and out at the station in La Plata. It's
amazing how many times we have randomly crossed paths will Bill,
running into him at the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago. Anyway, at one
time Bill vaguely mentioned to us that his father worked as a Pullman
porter out of Los Angeles back in the 1920's and 1930's... so it was
only fitting that he come with us to the newly-declared Pullman
National Monument.
A sign for the Pullman Company can still be seen above one of the doorways (Photo by Robert Tabern)
The old Pullman Wheel Works Building is now a housing development
(Photo by Robert Tabern)
First of all - getting to
Pullman National Monument is really easy for anyone who might have a
layover at Chicago Union Station. This is a great option for something
unique and educational to do with your time, especially if you are
coming in Chicago between one of the on-time morning eastern
long-distance trains (Lake Shore Limited, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, or
City of New Orleans) and then leaving in the afternoon on one of the
western long distance trains (Texas Eagle, Empire Builder, California
Zephyr, or Southwest Chief). Note that you could make a visit to the
park in reverse of what was mentioned above (with a connection between
a western train and eastern train in the late afternoon/early evening),
however the park currently has limited visitor center hours (Daily,
except Mondays, 11AM to 3PM), so you would not be able to get access to
the visitor center, but could still walk around the neighborhood.
Anyhow, the best way to get over there, in my opinion, from Union
Station would be to exit on Canal Street and walk one block south of
Jackson, until you come to Van Buren Street. At Van Buren Street, begin
walking east; you will cross the Chicago River and go on a nice walk
through the Loop. After about 8 or 9 blocks you come to the Van Buren
Street stop on the Metra Electric Line. Take the next train down to the
111th Street/Pullman Stop. You have to check the schedule carefully as
some trains will run express down to 115th Street/Kensington Street;
you could take one of these trains if you didn't mind the four block
back-track walk to the visitor center and Pullman neighborhood. Your
other option using public transit to get down to Pullman National
Monument would be to take the CTA Red Line to the end of the line at
95th Street, and then connect with the CTA Route #115 bus that runs
down Cottage Grove Avenue and stops virtually right in front of the
visitor center. On this particular day, due to time limitations, we
decided to drive down; there was ample parking at the visitor center if
you chose to do this.
Bill Heard, the son of a Pullman Porter, is excited to be arriving at the new Pullman National Monument
(Photos by Robert Tabern)
The first stop that Bill wanted
to make was at the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, which is
located at 10406 S. Maryland Avenue in Chicago. Note that this just
over a one mile walk from the National Park Service visitor center (at
112th & Cottage Grove) and is on the far northern side of the area
declared a National Monument. Bill donated some of his father's
memorabilia to the museum, but had not had the chance to ever head down
there and see what was on display. This was supposed to be one of the
highlights of our visit. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed when
we arrived and the museum was closed. According to the hours on the
website, it should have been open (listed as being open Thursdays
through Saturdays from 11AM to 3PM from April 1 to December 1). The A.
Philip Randolph Pullman Museum, while in the new National Monument
boundaries, is a privately run museum dedicated to telling the history
of Pullman porters. The museum was founded in 1995 by Dr. Lyn Hughes.
Bill explained to us that A. Philip Randolph was the chief organizer
and co-founder of the BSCP, the first African-American labor union in
the United States to win a collective bargaining agreement. Under
Randolph's leadership, the Pullman Porters fought for employment
equality with the Pullman Rail Car Company. Admission to the museum is
$5.00, but again, it's apparently best to actually call ahead too to
make sure they are going to be open when you are planning to visit
there. Egh, I guess it gives us an excuse to head down there again
someday!
Despite saying they were open on their website, the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum was closed on April 4, 2015
(Photo Courtesy: A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum)
Since that Pullman Porter museum
was closed, our next stop was a drive over to the National Park Service
visitor center located near 112th & Cottage Grove (the exact
address is 11141 S. Cottage Grove). Apparently up until the area was
declared part of the National Park Service on February 19, 2015, this
visitor center was managed solely by the Historic Pullman Foundation.
For many years this organization provided restoration work on the
neighborhood and was responsible for providing visitor services,
including walking tours during the summer months. As it stands
now, the National Park Service is planning on building its own new
visitor center located in one of the Pullman factory buildings once it
is restored, however this might take several more years. For the mean
time, the National Park Service and the Historic Pullman Foundation
will share the visitor center at 112th & Cottage Grove. We learned
something interesting when talking to the park ranger on duty that day.
He said that there is a very clear reason why Pullman was declared a
National Monument and not a National Historical Site, as one might
think would be more appropriate. Apparently, the President of the
United States is allowed to declare any land that he wants a National
Monument through Executive Order, while any other type of National Park
Service Unit (National Park, National Historic Site, etc.) would take
an act of Congress. Many historical preservationists feared that by the
time Congress actually got around to acting and doing all of the usual
studies needed to declare Pullman a National Historical Site, more
building would be lost to the wrecking ball. That is why many advocates
urged President Obama to declare it a National Monument.
President Obama signs legislation in February 2015 declaring Pullman a unit of the National Park Service (Courtesy: Historic Pullman Foundation / Pullman National Monument)
While at the visitor center, we got to meet with Micheal
Shymanski, an architect, a resident of the Pullman neighborhood, and
probably most importantly, the President of the Historic Pullman
Foundation. Michael mentioned to us that the foundation serves as a
vehicle to acquire and restore important public buildings within the
Pullman Historic District; to develop and provide educational programs
and tours; and to conduct research and long range community planning to
facilitate the continuing preservation and restoration of the Pullman
Historic District. One of the more interesting long-range
projects that Michael mentioned to us was the idea of having
foundation volunteer docents meet visitors at the downtown stations
along the Metra Electric Line and ride with them out to the visitor
center. This would be a great idea in my opinion and draw a big crowd.
The National Park Service Visitor Center at Pullman National Monument is located near 112th & Cottage Grove Ave.
(Photos by Robert & Kandace Tabern)
There are numerous exhibits you
can view at the visitor center, including Pullman photos and old
railroad China on display. Even though it came across as a little
dated, be sure to spend the 15 minutes or so watching the movie; it
will give you a good background on Pullman's connection with Chicago.
We learned that George Pullman was born in 1831 in Brocton, New York,
but moved with his family to Albion, New York, along the Erie Canal. At
the age of fourteen, he dropped out of school. He went to work with his
father, moving houses during the widening of the Erie Canal. It was
through this job that Pullman learned his technique of shifting homes
to newly built foundations. He moved to Chicago as a young engineer and
worked to raise the buildings of central Chicago to a new grade that
allowed for a sewer system to be built; Pullman was responsible for
constructing new foundations under the raised homes. Pullman then
developed a railroad sleeping car, These were designed after the packet
boats that traveled the Erie Canal of his youth in Albion. The first
one was finished in 1864. After President Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated, Pullman arranged to have his body carried from
Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois on a sleeper, for which he
gained national attention, as hundreds of thousands of people lined the
route in homage. Orders for his new car began to pour into his company.
The sleeping cars proved successful --- although each cost more than
five times the price of a regular railway car. They were marketed as
"luxury for the middle class." Pullman believed that if his sleeper
cars were to be successful, he needed to provide a wide variety of
services to travelers: collecting tickets, selling berths, dispatching
wires, fetching sandwiches, mending torn trousers, converting day
coaches into sleepers, etc. Pullman believed that former house slaves
of the plantation South had the right combination of training to serve
the businessmen who would patronize his "Palace Cars." Pullman became
the biggest single employer of African Americans in post-Civil War
America.
Various interior shots from the new National Park Service Visitor Center at Pullman National Monument (Photos by Robert & Kandace Tabern)
Be sure to get your National Park Passport Stamp or participate in a junior ranger program at the Visitor Center (Photo by Robert Tabern)
In 1880 Pullman bought 4,000 acres 14 miles south of Chicago, on the
Illinois Central Railroad for $800,000. He hired Solon Spencer Beman to
design his new plant there. Trying to solve the issue of labor unrest
and poverty, he also built a company town adjacent to his factory; it
featured housing, shopping areas, churches, theaters, parks, hotel and
library for his factory employees. The 1300 original structures were
entirely designed by Beman. The centerpiece of the complex was the
Administration Building and a man-made lake. The Hotel Florence, named
for Pullman's daughter, was built nearby. Pullman believed that the
country air and fine facilities, without agitators, saloons and city
vice districts, would result in a happy, loyal workforce. The model
planned community became a leading attraction for visitors who attended
the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. It attracted nationwide
attention. The national press praised Pullman for his vision. According
to mortality statistics, it was one of the most healthful places in the
world.
One of the displays in the new National Park Service Visitor Center (Courtesy: Historic Pullman Foundation / Pullman National Monument)
Many say that Pullman ruled the town like a feudal baron. He
prohibited independent newspapers, public speeches, town meetings or
open discussion. His inspectors regularly entered homes to inspect for
cleanliness and could terminate workers' leases on ten days' notice.
When manufacturing demand fell off in 1894, Pullman cut jobs and wages
and increased working hours in his plant to lower costs and keep
profits, but he did not lower rents or prices in the company town.
Eventually the workers launched the Pullman Strike. When violence broke
out, he gained the support of President Grover Cleveland for the use of
United States troops. In 1898, one year after Pullman's death, the
Supreme Court of Illinois forced the Pullman Company to divest
ownership in the town, which was annexed to Chicago. You can still see
many of the original buildings today, such as Hotel Florence and the
Administration Building. However, many of the structures are now closed
for renovations with the new designation as a National Monument. It
will be an exciting day when they are re-opened to the public and look
as good as they did 135 years ago.
Bill took us on a quick walking tour of the old Pullman Neighborhood, which is now part of the National Monument (Photo by Kandace Tabern)
The old Pullman Administration Building is currently undergoing rehab; it will be the permanent Pullman NM Visitor Center (Photo by Robert Tabern)
A close-up of the old clock tower at the old Pullman Administration Building (Courtesy: Historic Pullman Foundation / Pullman National Monument)
Historic neighborhood homes that visitors can check out on a self-guided walking tour (Courtesy: Historic Pullman Foundation / Pullman National Monument)
Our last treat of the day while
visiting Pullman was when Bill pulled something out of the old
briefcase that he is often seen carrying around -- it was a picture of
his dad as a Pullman Porter!! Just incredible!
A photo and identification card belonging to Pullman Porter, J.M. Heard, the father of our friend, Bill Heard (Images provided by Bill Heard)
The whole ride back to downtown Chicago Bill shared some stories
with about his dad and working as a Pullman porter. We all agreed that
we would have to come back and spend more time down at the new Pullman
National Monument -- and maybe take one of the historical walking tours
of the neighborhood that are offered by the Historic Pullman Foundation
on the first Sunday of every month from May to October. We hope
that you enjoyed reading about our experience and that you will plan a
visit the next time you are visiting Chicago.
