Sponsored by Pullman State Historic Site

www.bronzevillehistoricalsociety.com

Pilot Program

'Birding for Beginners'

“HOW TO MAKE YOUR YARD FRIENDLY FOR BIRDS”

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2009

Simba Tayari and Valroy Dawkins at Great Migration Exhibit, May, 2009

Support for the program has come from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's 'Celebrate Urban Birds' project and Chicago Wilderness. Funding resources have come from Audubon of the Chicago Region, via TogetherGreen program. 

Sunday, October 18

1:10    Welcome – Mike Wagenbach

1:15    Narrative – Sherry Williams         
Acknowledgements: Michelle Uting, Chicago Wilderness – Leave No Child Inside                   

1:20    Dedication,  Libations, Introduction of guest speaker: Judy Pollock, Audubon of the Chicago Region

Judy Pollock is the Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon of the Chicago Region, and coordinates several projects to monitor and restore habitat for our local birds, including the Bartel Grassland habitat restoration, the Bird Conservation Network Survey, and the Illinois Important Bird Areas Program.  She is the author of several articles and publications about birds including “Birds of the Windy City” and is a frequent speaker on bird conservation topics.   She enjoys visiting the Calumet area to look for birds, and her garden has attracted 125 species of birds to her small yard.

 

1:50    Birding / Guided Outdoor Tour

Chicago Defender Newspaper Building in Bronzeville. The Defender encouraged people to leave the South and 'migrate' to Chicago

Also,

November 15, 1:00 PM,

Birding at Pullman State Historic Site

The Pullman Company drew from the ranks of newly emancipated slaves to provide passenger services for the Pullman Palace Car service.  The black Pullman porter soon emerged as one of the most distinctive positions available to African Americans from 1867 through the 1950s.  Black families leaving the south to escape racism and poverty arrived in Chicago and settled near the rails around the Illinois Central 12th Street Station in an area that became known as Bronzeville.  The community was brimming with African American traditions and was home to many well-known civil rights pioneers, educators, Pullman porters, entertainers, and professionals.

The Pullman State Historic Site, including the Hotel Florence, is administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.  CONTACT: Mike Wagenbach (773) 660-2341 The Hotel Florence is located at 11111 South Forrestville Avenue, Chicago. 

 The Pullman State Historic Site

http://www.pullman-museum.org
11111 S. Forrestville Ave., Chicago, IL 60628
773~660~2341 
E-mail: sleepingcars@sbcglobal.net                                                             www.bronzevillehistoricalsociety.com

Interesting note from the Pullman State Historic Site web site

The Town of Pullman

In 1880 George Mortimer Pullman bought 4,000 acres near Lake Calumet some 14 miles south of Chicago on the Illinois Central Railroad for $800,000. He hired Solon Spencer Beman to design his new plant there, and in an effort to solve the issue of labor unrest and poverty, he also built a town adjacent to his factory with its own housing, shopping areas, churches, theaters, parks, hotel and library for his employees. The 1300 original structures were entirely designed by Beman. The centerpiece of the complex was the Administration Building and its man-made lake. The Hotel Florence, named for Pullman’s favorite daughter, was built nearby. Pullman believed that the country air and fine facilities without agitators, saloons and city vice districts would result in a happy, loyal workforce. The model planned community became a leading attraction during the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 and caused a national sensation. Pullman was praised by the national press for his benevolence and vision. As pleasant as the community may have been, Pullman expected the town to make money. By 1892 the community, profitable in its own right, was valued at over $5 Million. Pullman ruled the town like a feudal baron. He prohibited independent newspapers, public speeches, town meetings or open discussion. His inspectors regularly entered homes to inspect for cleanliness and could terminate leases on ten days notice. The church stood empty since no approved denomination would pay rent and no other congregation was allowed. Private charitable organizations were prohibited. Pullman employees declared “We are born in a Pullman house, fed from the Pullman shops, taught in the Pullman school, catechized in the Pullman Church, and when we die we shall go to the Pullman Hell.”