Hildene celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Sleeping Car Porters

MANCHESTER, VT - In this 250th anniversary year of the United States, Hildene joins the Pullman National Historical Park and The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters — the first African American labor union to sign a collective bargaining agreement with a major US corporation.

Next Sunday, February 15th, Hildene will host an immersive program on the Pullman Porters, followed by a guided tour of its 1903 Pullman railcar, Sunbeam. Join educator Lisa Maggio to explore the critical role Pullman Porters played in the Pullman Company, the emergence of America’s Black middle class, and the formation of the Black labor movement.

"Our Many Voices exhibit was purposefully created to highlight the history of the Pullman Porters and their pivotal role in the birth of the Civil Rights movement."
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​— Craig Gemmell, President of Hildene

The special program, Pullman Porters: Unsung Heroes, will take place next Sunday from 2-3:30 p.m. (registration is required), but visitors to Hildene can tour the Pullman Car and the Many Voices exhibit with a docent during regular operating hours, from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Thursday through Monday. (Hildene is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and some holidays.)

"Fifteen years ago this June, Sunbeam was ceremoniously paraded through Manchester and brought to Hildene, becoming a vehicle to tell a more complete story of Robert Lincoln, the Pullman Company, and the extraordinary Pullman Porters," said Craig Gemmell, president of Hildene. "Our Many Voices exhibit was purposefully created to highlight the history of the Pullman Porters and their pivotal role in the birth of the Civil Rights movement."

The thought-provoking Many Voices exhibit features a timeline that spans 100 years, from the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to the March on Washington in 1963. It includes quotes from executives of the Pullman Company, wealthy passengers who traveled in luxury, and the African American railroad employees who provided the impeccable service that made Pullman travel exceptional.

Hildene’s 72-foot-long restored Sunbeam was configured as a private car for Pullman’s charter service in 1903 during Robert Lincoln’s tenure as president of the Pullman Company, a position he held from 1897 to 1911. During this period, the Pullman Company was the largest railroad manufacturing company in the world and the largest employer of African Americans in the country, providing jobs as Pullman Porters to those freed by the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. Despite exploitative working conditions, these men formed the "Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters" and improved their own lives and those of their families, contributing to the rise of America’s Black middle class.

For Robert Lincoln, spending time at Hildene did not mean business ceased. He served as the president of the Pullman Company during the first six summers he spent at Hildene and as chairman until 1924. The only significant addition he made to his home after its completion in 1905 was the creation of the secretary’s office, which featured custom cabinets containing copies of his important personal and business papers and correspondence.

"In the almost 15 years that we've had Sunbeam, we've realized the history of Pullman Porters is not well-known to many," said Gary Parzych, exhibits and collections manager for Hildene. "With our Many Voices exhibit, we share the 'voices' of the Pullman Porters and allow their stories to speak for themselves."

Parzych reported that Hildene's docents are trained to engage visitors in civil civic discourse: "We often act as hosts for sometimes difficult conversations with people from all walks of life across this country and from around the world. This story still has important lessons for the present day, especially in February, as we observe Black History Month."

The Many Voices exhibit positions Hildene as one of the southernmost sites along the Vermont African American Heritage Trail. This trail features sites that recognize and celebrate important places in Vermont associated with inspiring African Americans and those who fought for the abolition of slavery and the establishment of civil rights.

To register for the Pullman Porter: Unsung Heroes program, please contact Stephanie Moffett-Hynds, 802-367-7960.

Visit Hildene this February: Tour the Pullman Car and Many Voices exhibit with a docent during regular hours, Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Plan your visit today to experience this significant story firsthand.

Please note: Hildene is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and some holidays.

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Many Voices exhibit gallery

The "Many Voices" exhibit at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home.Many Voices Exhibit and Pullman PlatformPullman Car, Sunbeam

Adelina Patti, operatic coloratura soprano, with her members of her entourage and her Pullman car, circa 1904. Library of CongressPullman Car, Sunbeam - SignPullman Porter, Chicago, 1943, Library of CongressMany Voices Exhibit detail

Pullman Car, Sunbeam gallery