Amtrak is honoring the black men who worked as attendants on trains in the early 1900s – the Pullman Porters.

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During the long gone days when the world traveled by train, being a Pullman porter was one of the best jobs an African-American man could have, and one of the worst.

The hours were grueling 16 hours a day, seven days a week. The pay was poor. The working conditions were appalling. Pullman porters, named for the sleeping-car trains invented by Chicago industrialist George Pullman, cleaned toilets, made beds and answered the beck and call of passengers who sometimes called them “boy” and worse.

On the other hand, Pullman porters got to see the country, meet famous people and, thanks to tips, support their families.

They also made history.

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