In 1893, twelve years after moving into their row house in Pullman, Alexander Curtis died following a long illness. He was 43.

His daughter, Jennie, was forced to assume 60 dollars in back rent owed by her father. She had worked for Pullman herself since she was 14. After her pay was cut from 17 cents an hour to 11 cents in the next year, she joined the American Railway Union, became president of the Girls' Division, and a leader of the 1894 Pullman Strike--all at the age of 18.