Historical Downtown Pullman
Pullman became a town around 1877, then known as "Three Forks." The name was given from a geographical perspective because the Missouri Flat Creek, Dry Fork Creek and the South Fork of the Palouse River joined at this point.
In 1881, three settlers, Daniel McKenzie, Bolin Farr and Oriville Steward, applied for a postal permit under the name of Pullman. One theory is that the adopted name came from George Pullman, the king of the great railroad sleeping-car.
Pullman soon became know for its artesian wells which lured newcomers to the area. The community grew with six businesses and professional men who pushed the growth that brought Washington State College, the state's land grant educational institution, to Pullman in 1890. Opening in 1892 with 21 students, Washington State Univertsity has now grown to almost 17,000 at the Pullman campus alone.
Thanks to the University, Pullman has grown to include all the cultural and sports activities of a big city.
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