MG-393. PULLMAN STANDARD CAR MANUFACTORING COMPANY OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA RECORDS, [ca. 1902-1970].
Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Company was a manufacturing branch of Pullman Incorporated of Chicago that resulted from merger between the Pullman Car and Manufacturing Corporation and the Standard Steel Car Company. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Pullman systematized railroad car construction, revolutionized rail travel, and had a significant impact upon the economies of the cities where it operated shops and yards. Like many industries, it fell victim to the increasing competition occasioned by the rise of air and automotive travel after World War II. The records primarily consist of specification books, tracings and mechanical drawings of railroad freight cars and equipment, including "Jim Crow Cars." Other files include Business Correspondence, 1924-1925, 1938-1954; Employee Record Cards (giving the employee name, race, sex, and address as well as information about previous employment and work history), 1909-1945; visual materials such as photographs and motion picture films, showing scenes from World War II, peace time production lines, and such employee social activities as picnics and retirement parties; and audio tapes [ca. 1942-1970],. Materials concerning African American employees may be found in these files.