Skip to main content

This is the story of Mexican workers recruited in the early 1900s to work the railroads in Galesburg, Illinois. Mexico was torn by a bloody civil war and many American men had gone off to fight in World War I. The railroad companies looked south, offering displaced Mexicans a job and a place to raise a family … a home in the form of a boxcar.

 

Using historic film and photos and original testimonials, the film tells the tale of a proud people with strong  traditions and deep faith who came to love their adopted country. Boxcar People is a truly inspiring story of immigrants rising up against all odds. It sheds light upon a rarely heard story of the Midwest’s Mexican population in context of American history, and puts a face on generations of immigrants who have built this country, but still struggle for acceptance and civil rights. 

Written and produced by: 
Will and Luz Schick

Executive Producer:
William Baker

Original music by:
Daniel Godsil

Boxcars being converted
Chillicothe Santa-Fe Track Crew
Boxcar homes at Davis Camp
Man walking with a paper sack at Davis Camp
Section Gang

 Watch Program

 Local Shows

Local Shows
Poster grid description
  • My Journey with Annie Malone
  • At Issue with H Wayne Wilson
  • WTVP's Backyard Journeys
  • Business Forward with Matt George
  • Consider This Poster
  • From Distilleries to Stills: Prohibition In Peoria
  • Doug Hoerr: Landscape Architect
  • From the Horse's Mouth
  • #HBCYou with Dee Brown CEO
  • Leadership Lessons for Home, Work and Life
  • None
  • Lydia: Ahead of Her Time
  • Mark's Furry Friends
  • OSF HealthCare Ministry Headquarters
  • The Illinois River Series Poster
  • Self Made with Dee Brown CEO
  • A Shot of Ag with Rob "The SharkFarmer" Sharkey
  • Springdale Cemetery: Memories of a Lifetime
  • State & Water Poster
  • Word of the Week
  • What is it??
  • You Gotta See This! by Peoria Magazine