Pullman Yards

Originally built in 1904 by Pratt Engineering, this location was used for the production of fertilizer bombs during WWI. Later it was used to develop and patent liquid carbonated gasses, which was then purchased by The Coca-Cola Company while it was still a start-up. The Pullman Company Purchased the property in 1926, expanded it, and gave it its iconic name. Pullman was renowned for luxurious rail travel across the country and used the site to repair passenger and cargo cars. The Pullman company was also one of the largest employers of African American men during segregation: The Pullman Porters. These men formed the nation’s first African-American labor union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids. Founded by civil rights activist A. Phillip Randolph, the union aimed to improve the working conditions and treatment of African-American railroad porters and maids employed by the Pullman Company across the country.