Acie Cargill

George Pullman Acie Cargill

It was the age of tycoons. The beginnings of heavy industry. Large amounts of capital accumulated by bankers and investment groups. Despoil the land. Dispossess the Native Americans. American imperialism throughout the hemisphere. Morals? Forget it. Money rules. George Pullman created the first luxury sleeper railroad car and it was used for Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. Many stops along the way and the Pullman car became a national sensation. Investors flocked around him offering huge amounts of lending capital. Enough for George to do one of the greatest social-industrial experiments that was ever done. He built a massive complex of factory, administrative, residential, and entertainment buildings. The architect was Solon Beman. About 4000 acres on the western shore of Lake Calumet. Clay from the Lake for bricks. Steel from the huge burgeoning steel mills just up the Calumet River. Make their own paint and who cares about the waste products. Just dump them. George was small in stature but a giant in prowess. When he set his mind to do something, he kept after it until it was done. He had a dream about a total industrial complex and he built it, and operated it successfully. Of course, there were also difficult times as the world economy rose and fell and that led to difficulties with his workers. This play will try to present the various sides and challenges of George Pullman with a slant of neutrality. His Pullman coaches are almost all gone except for a few museum pieces. His residential community is mostly still in useful existence, although that takes struggle and dedication of the residents. And now the area has been declared a National Monument with plans to preserve what is left forever. This play will hopefully preserve his words and ideas. Actually that is the most important part that is left of George Pullman, the person.