Did you know that George Pullman, industrialist head of the Pullman sleeper car for railroads had a girlfriend in Elkhart, Illinois? When I was given a terrific tour of that village in 2007, I was shown the remains of a boarding ramp placed by a special siding off the main railroad line on Elkhart’s west side. This is where Mr. Pullman’s private car would be “parked” when he came to visit his paramour.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2008, 7:00pm -8:30pm
Research and Collections Center
1011 East Ash Street
East Conference Room
Springfield, Illinois
Archaeology and Industry:
Collaborative Archaeology at the Pullman Community, Chicago, Illinois
PRESENTED BY:
Dr. Jane Eva Baxter
Department of Anthropology
DePaul University
The Pullman Community on Chicago’s south side is a popular, contemporary tourist attraction that provides one of the best examples of a 19th-century company town still in existence. History textbooks depict the town as the epicenter of a major strike that forever changed labor relations in America. With so much historical documentation and intact architecture, what can historical archaeology contribute? DePaul University is studying various sites’ across the town’s landscape in order to reconstruct what daily life was like for Pullman residents during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Because of close collaboration with community groups and individual community members, a more detailed and vibrant history of the community is emerging. To date, archaeological work has been undertaken at the factory, hotel, and “carriage house,” and additional investigations are planned for this summer.
Hope everyone can attend this lecture to learn more about the Pullman Community!
This should be an interesting presentation!
L l . . . . . . . and p.
