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Jesse Jackson, Jr. Says Pullman Should Be A National Historic site

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 2, 2012 8:20PM

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Image Credit: Joe Balynas

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. said he plans on introducing legislation that would one day turn the Historic Pullman District into a national park. It must be an election year.

The Far South Side neighborhood, the first planned industrial community in the United States, is on Chicago's landmarks list and the National Register of Historic Places. Jackson's proposal calls for a one-to-three year feasibility study to determine if designating the site at 111th and Cottage Grove Avenue wold work. If it does, then Congress would be asked to pass a measure to designate it as a national park.

National Park Service associate regional director Marty Sterkel told the Northwest Indiana Times this could be easier for Pullman, since they already have a foundation in place for tourism, and significant restoration to homes around the site have been done.

What is interesting is, if this comes to fruition, Pullman would become only the second site in Illinois to be designated a national park, behind the Abraham Lincoln Home. Jackson plans on introducing his legislation this later this week.