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Labor Day weekend 2021 saw the grand opening of the Pullman National Monument Visitor Center and surrounding factory grounds. The timing is poignant for this National Monument—Chicago’s first—as the site interprets stories of American industrialization, urban planning, labor, and civil rights. In fact, in 1894, factory workers here walked off the job in a massive strike that led to the national recognition of Labor Day.

In 1999, the Pullman Administration Building and Factory Complex were on our list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Sites and in 2014 we designated the site a National Treasure.

Grand opening festivities included guided tours, live performances, and interpretive programming. The new Visitor Center will highlight two key moments in American Labor History associated with the Pullman company including the 1894 Pullman Strike and Boycott, and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union winning the first successful contract with a major company in 1937.

Read more about the grand opening festivities and Pullman's role in the creation of Labor Day in the Chicago Tribune.

Many of us look forward to the long weekend that comes with Labor Day, but we don't pause to remember why we have the holiday in the first place or where it all started. Though it is often overlooked, Labor Day is rooted in the labor strikes that occurred in the early 1890's at the Pullman Palace Car Company.

"Much of labor history here in Chicago, and really around the world, is centered around this factory," said Bob Reiter, secretary/treasurer for the Chicago Federation of Labor.

For the first time since becoming a national monument, Pullman hosted a variety of labor day celebrations and activities. Read more about the festivities and Pullman's role in the creation of Labor Day in the Chicago Tribune.

The Pullman Historic District is not resting on its laurels after President Obama designated it a National Monument in February – quite the opposite! In the past month, two separate planning workshops convened to look ahead at the community’s future.

This past week, the “Positioning Pullman” workshop challenged architects, planners, economists, educators, preservationists, and community members to think about what’s next for Pullman. The “collaborative ideas workshop” was co-hosted by the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the National Parks Conservation Association. National Trust staff participated as “Alliance Partners” in the three-day intensive exercise, which culminated with an Open House to showcase the work of four teams focusing on key elements of the community’s future: access and connections, historic preservation and adaptive reuse, community development, and visitor experience.

Many of the ideas and concepts developed during the workshop will soon be put to use for a variety of planning efforts, including collaboration with the City of Chicago on enhancements to Pullman’s transportation infrastructure and integration with the National Park Service’s (NPS) park planning efforts. The resulting designs should be available online within the next several months for continued discussion and refinement.

And following on from last month’s Foundation Planning Workshop, the NPS is also inviting comment from the public as they develop the management plan for the new Pullman National Monument. Visit the NPS website to share your thoughts.

Over the past several years, thousands of National Trust members and friends have shown their support for this unique historic community. As Pullman moves on to a new phase in its long and storied history, we hope you will remain involved – and stop by for a visit to Chicago’s first National Park! Pullman has been one of Chicago’s best kept secrets for many years, but those days are numbered – the word is getting out, and big things are ahead for this National Treasure!

Show your support for other National Treasures on our nation’s public lands, like the Painted Desert Community Complex and Ancestral Places of Southeast Utah.

The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation just launched the Find Your Parkinitiative, a public awareness and education campaign celebrating the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and setting the stage for the next 100 years.

In this video, First Lady Michelle Obama shares her National Park story – including her family’s personal connection to Pullman National Monument! Check it out, and then visit www.findyourpark.com to share your own National Park story!

Today, President Obama designated a portion of Chicago’s Pullman Historic District a National Monument, making it the Windy City’s first unit of the National Park Service. The move comes after decades of work by residents and supporters to protect and promote the historic neighborhood that sits 13 miles south of downtown Chicago.

You can get all the details in today’s blog post, or watch a video of the ceremony below. Either way, won’t you join us in thanking President Obama?

Congratulations, Pullman!