The Pullman State Historic Site

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Pullman magazine advertisement, "Go by train!", 1946


George M. Pullman was a master at advertising and marketing his services and train accommodations. Beginning with his earliest efforts at creating sleeping cars during the 1860s, he realized the marketing potential of "leasing" rather than selling his cars. By leasing them rather than selling them he was assured of their use by the greatest number of train lines, rather than just a few who could afford his more costly, elegant cars. As train lines expanded their services and ridership grew, so could the number of cars they leased from Pullman.

Once Pullman's Palace Car Company was created and headquartered at Pullman, Illinois in 1881, marketing began in earnest with Pullman Palace Car Company descriptive circulars (1886) describing hotel, sleeping, excursion and hunting cars, the railroad companies leasing his cars advertised their advantages, and passes were issued allowing guests to travel during specified times. Publicity about the Town of Pullman and its famous train cars appeared in newspapers and journals across the country and overseas and for the Columbian Exposition of 1893, George Pullman created special "Market Square" apartment accommodations in the Town of Pullman for guests to stay and ran trains from the Exposition directly to Pullman. By the time of his death, Pullman had succeeded in making his name a household word.



 


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of Chicago's Calumet Region