George Pullman

George Pullman was born in Brocton, Chautauqua County New York in 1831. His father James Pullman invented a method for moving houses on wheels. George took over his fathers business of moving homes with the death of his father in 1853. Pullman moved to Chicago where he gained a specialty in raising buildings as Chicago rebuilt itself higher up. After a period in Colorado where Pullman made additional money, Pullman who had been uncomfortable during his train travel designed and began manufacturing sleeping cars. Pullman instead of selling his cars instead leased and operated his cars. By 1876 Pullman was leasing 700 cars over 30,000 miles of line. Pullman became a major manufacturer of railroads cars, by 1890 Pullman was making 1,000 passenger cars and 12,000 freight cars a year. He built a new town to house his employees, hoping this would limit his labor troubles. That did not stop a number of lengthy strikes against the company. Pullman died in 1897.