In the 1870s, George Pullman, manufacturer of the famous and luxurious Pullman Palace Cars, purchased land along Lake Calumet south of Chicago, to build a town in which to produce his railroad cars and house his workers.

By the early 20th century, the company was forced to sell off everything except the manufacturing facilities, but the town continued to retain much of its 19th century charm, in spite of narrowly escaping demolition in the 1960s. The significance of the site was acknowledged when President Barack Obama officially designated the town as a National Monument in February 2015.

This online presentation by William Tyre, Executive Director and Curator of Glessner House (and a Pullman resident), explored the history of the town from its 1870s origins to its current interpretation as the only unit of the National Park Service in the Chicagoland area.