Cruising the past looks at rail travel in America aboard the
Pullman Company sleeping cars – when trains were truly first
class and cross-country rail trips were a cruise. THE PULLMAN
COMPANY George Pullman was inspired by an overnight train ride
from Buffalo to Westfield, New York to design an improved
passenger railcar. He established his company in 1862 and built
luxury sleeping cars which featured carpeting, draperies,
upholstered chairs, libraries and card tables and an
unparalleled level of customer service. Once a household name
due to their large market share, the Pullman Company is also
known for the bitter Pullman Strike staged by their workers and
union leaders in 1894. During an economic downturn, Pullman
reduced hours and wages but not rents leading to the strike.
Workers joined the American Railway Union, led by Eugene V.
Debs. After George Pullman’s death in 1898, Robert Todd Lincoln,
son of Abraham Lincoln became company president. The company
closed its factory in the Pullman neighborhood of