Visitor center at Chicago's first national monument opens

CHICAGO (AP) - Years in the making, the visitor center and state historic site grounds at the Pullman National Monument have officially opened to the public.

Chicago's first national monument marks the site where Pullman passenger railroad cars were built; Employees lived nearby in the neighborhood on the city's South Side Side. The sprawling Pullman company factory closed in 1982. The National Park Services' visitor center features exhibits on worker demonstrations that helped plant the seeds of the modern labor movement. For instance, Black railroad workers won a significant labor agreement in the 1930s that helped lead to worker protections.

Robert Bushwaller, a Historic Pullman Foundation board member, was encouraged by the crowd on Saturday. Some drove vintage cars to mark the opening day during the Labor Day weekend.

'œThe public support has been better than expected,'ť Bushwaller told the Chicago Sun-Times. 'œThe turnout is tremendous. They remember so much from how it used to be and want to see if it still tasted that way, and they've been satisfied.'ť

Former President Barack Obama designated the factory and surrounding area a national monument in 2015. Restoration and revitalization at the site has been ongoing for years.