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Pullman
Boundaries and Major Infrastructure
- There are two distinct neighborhoods in Pullman, and a third area: South Pullman, North Pullman and what some call Burnside or Rosemoor.
- Click on the map to explore each neighborhood.
- The official boundaries of Pullman are 95th Street, Stony Island and the Bishop Ford Expressway, 115th Street and Cottage Grove. However, residents of North and South Pullman say that Pullman stops at 103rd street.
Biodiversity
- Pullman has no major natural greenspace within the community area boundaries. However, it is the closest community to Lake Calumet, and was built next to the lake in the 1800s, where it served as an important recreational space for Chicago elite. The banks of this lake came to the edge of the community in the late 1800s, and clay from its bottom was used in the bricks that built many of the buildings.
- Today it is surrounded by overgrowth and public access is restricted, with the exception of Harborside International Golf Course on the northwest side. Residents from the region fish on the lake by boating from the Calumet River. Most Pullman residents are aware of its presence but because of physical barriers, including an interstate and fences, they do not associate the lake with their local community.
Important Facts
- Pullman, from 115th to 103rd, was the first planned industrial community in the US. It's known for its luxury railroad passenger-car plant, as a model planned community, and for its role in the history of labor.
- The Pullman Porters organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925. This was the first African-American labor union to sign a collective bargaining agreement with a major U.S. corporation.
- Pullman was designated an Illinois Historic District in 1969, a National Historic Landmark District in 1970, and in 1972, South Pullman became one of the first landmark districts named by the City of Chicago. Recently, North Pullman was also given such designation.
- Industry around Pullman today includes the Sherman Williams Paint Factory and the Jay's Potato Chip Plant.
- During the 1960s, South Pullman was designated a 'blighted' area, and the Roseland Chamber of Commerce recommended tearing down the area between 115th and 111th Streets for expansion of the Calumet Harbor. Residents joined together and formed the Pullman Civic Organization (PCO), saving the community from demolition.
- PCO is still active today, working to maintain the historical industrial feel of the town.
Contemporary Demographics
2000 Total Population: 8921
North Pullman and the Burnside/Rosemoore areas of Pullman are predominantly African American (97% and 98%). South Pullman is quite diverse. Census 2000 reports the demographic make-up of South Pullman to be 36% white, 36% Latino and 25% black, 3% other.
According to the Census 2000, all three areas have many renters and home owners. Average household income for renters, $12,232 in North Pullman (3.11 average household size), is below the average poverty threshold for households with three people (Dalaker 2001: 5). South Pullman renters have a smaller household size and make on average $8,000 more than North Pullman renters. There were also more vacant units in North Pullman 17.8% compared with 9.7% vacant in South Pullman. The Burnside area of Pullman is most affluent and has the most home owners with a median renter household income: $28,380, and owner household income: $47,895.
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