Pullman National Monument Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Date:
September 7, 2021

The National Park Service (NPS) in coordination with Illinois Department of Natural Resources officially opened the Pullman National Monument and State Historic Site today with a program and ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating Pullman's ties to Labor Day, including remarks by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

As Chicago's first national park, Pullman National Monument was established on February 19, 2015, by then-President Barack Obama to preserve and share key stories associated with George Pullman and his namesake Pullman Palace Car Company, including industrial and rail innovation, labor rights, urban planning, and civil rights. New exhibits and programming at the visitor center, as well as interpretive signage, walkways, and structures on the adjacent grounds will deepen visitors' connections to these stories.

'Pullman played an important role in shaping American history, and its stories are as meaningful to Americans today as they were in the company's heyday,' said Pullman National Monument Superintendent Teri Gage. 'Today we celebrate this nationally significant cultural resource and the opportunities it creates to connect these stories with new audiences.'

The program also included remarks by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker; U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (Dist. 2); U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin; Chicago Mayor Lori Elaine Lightfoot; Robert G. Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor; Alderman Anthony Beale, 9th Ward; Dr. Lyn Hughes, founder, National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum; Will Shafroth, president and CEO, National Park Foundation; and Gage.

The program was the culmination of a weekend of public events celebrating Pullman's stories. With the ribbon-cutting, the Monument will now be open daily to the public.

The Historic Administration Clock Tower Building at 111th and S. Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago was the heart of Pullman's factory and the town built to house company workers. Since 2019, $34 million in federal, state, and private funding has been invested to renovate the iconic building and rehabilitate the adjacent historic factory grounds. The clock tower building serves as the monument's Visitor Center, managed by NPS. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources owns and operates the surrounding 12-acre grounds, including several remaining factory buildings and historic Hotel Florence, as Pullman State Historic Site.

The Visitor Center features exhibits about Pullman's role in American labor history, including the 1894 Pullman Strike and Boycott, and the 1937 African-American Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union winning the first successful contract with a major company. Visitors can get a glimpse of almost a century of evolving workforce and rail equipment production, learn about the lasting design and architecture of the 1880 Town of Pullman, and how a community works together to preserve an historic district.

As a partnership park, Pullman National Monument works with numerous organizations to help welcome visitors to the monument, preserve the history and land, and extend

the benefits of the park to the surrounding community. Interpretive partners include Historic Pullman Foundation, National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, and Bielenberg Historic Pullman House Foundation.

Those who missed the event can watch the livestream at Pullman National Monument's Facebook.

For more information about visiting Pullman National Monument, visit nps.gov/pull.

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