On this day in Labor History the year was 1859.
That was the day the first Pullman sleeping car made an overnight trip.
The first Pullman sleeper was a renovated day coach.
That first trip was made on the Chicago and Alton Railroad between Bloomington, Illinois and Chicago.
Pullman continued to improve his sleeping cars to make long-distance train travel more comfortable and luxurious.
Inspired by company towns in Essen, Germany and Saltaire, England, Pullman bought land south of Chicago to build his company town.
He named his new town Pullman and moved all of his manufacturing operations there.
There were other sleeping cars at that time but George Pullman refined the sleeping car and built a monopoly.
As for his company town, initially it seemed to be a great success.
Visitors to Chicago flocked to Pullman to view the model town.
But then there was a severe economic depression in 1893.
This caused Pullman to lower the wages of his employees.
However, Pullman did not also lower the rents he charged to live in the company town.
Prices of goods for sale in the town were not lowered either.
Disgruntled workers went on strike.
Many of the strikers joined the American Railway Union, started by Eugene Debs.
This union organized a boycott and railroad workers across the country refused to service any trail with a Pullman car.
The U.S. Attorney General issued an injunction demanding that the strikers cease their activities or face being fired.
Eventually President Cleveland sent in Federal troops to end the boycott.
As a result Thirty workers were killed across the country.
Pullman died a few years later and today his Pullman Palace Car that transformed the transportation industry is a relic of history but his legacy of slashing wages lives on.
Labor History in 2:00 brought to you by the Illinois Labor History Society and The Rick Smith Show