George+Pullman





George Mortimer Pullman was born on March 3, 1831 in Brocton, New York. He was an American Inventor and Industrialist. He had made the Pullman sleeping car for trains and his own town, Pullman. Pullman had dropped out of school at age 14 but eventually became one of the most influential figures. In 1864, he developed the Pullman Sleeping Car for railroads. After having President Abraham Lincoln ride in one, he received national attention and received many orders after that. The sleepers were marketed as " Luxury for the Middle Class" In 1867, He intorduced the "President", a sleeping car with a kitchen and a dining car. Than he invented the " Palace Cars" which had everything the " President" did but with servants. By 1875, the Pullman firm owned $100,000 worth of patents, had 700 cars in operation, and had several hundred thousand dollars in the bank. In 1887, Pullman designed the system of 'Vestibuled Trains," which made an entire train into a single car. These were first used on the Pennsylvania Trunk Lines. Pullman bought 4,000 acres of land near Lake Calumet for $800,000. He Made a town adjacent to his company there with housing, shopping areas, churches, theaters, parks, and hotels and librarys for his employees. Pullman had created his own money also. By 1892, Pullman the town was valued over $5 million. In the town, Pullman prohibited independent newspapers, public speeches, town meeting, open discussions, and private charitable organizations. A Pullman employee who lived in the Pullman-owned town had said, " We are born in a Pullman house, fed from the Pullman shops, taught in the Pullman school, catechized in the Pullman Church, and when we die we shall go to the Pullman Hell." His business fell in 1894 because of job cuts, pay cuts, and increased working hours. By not lowering rents, utility charges, and product costs, led to the Pullman Strike. In 1898, the [|Supreme Court of Illinois] forced the Pullman Company to divest ownership in the town, which was annexed to Chicago. He passed away on October 19, 1897, at age 66 in Chicago, Illinois.

Bibliography: @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pullman