Pullman celebrates designation of new National Historical Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The South Side is celebrating a new distinction for the Pullman neighborhood, as the Pullman National Monument has been designated a National Historical Park.
The Pullman neighborhood was one of the first factory towns in the nation, as railroad magnate George Pullman built homes right net to his factories.
Pullman also has played a major role in the labor movement. It was the site of the first industry-wide railroad strike, and the first Black labor union, and a strike there led to the creation of Labor Day.
Community and elected leaders gathered at the site Thursday morning to celebrate the new national park designation.
"The ground we stand on right now hosts so much of our national story. The labor actions that built the middle class, and launched our nation into a century of unprecedented prosperity began right here in Pullman," said U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who helped lead the effort to make Pullman a national park.
The Pullman Historic District site at 610 E. 111th Street was first designated as a national monument in 2015. Last month, Congress passed legislation designating it as the Pullman National Historic Park.
That will allow the site to acquire land and enter into cooperative agreements to advance park management.
It's only the second national park sites in Illinois, with the other the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield.