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In 1850, a 15 year dear boy from London arrived in New York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He rest a position as “paunch walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with great dining. From this inauspicious beginning, Fred Harvey would change the habit people West of the Mississippi dined, generate a marketing embellish that helped imagine the mankind’s largest railroad, victor women in the animate force, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his path west, stopping in Different Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas City, he acquired knowledge of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the floor waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and information the whole shooting match he deo volente could about every position of the industry. His goal was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative placement as a traveling freight power on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the delayed 1860’s and beginning 1870’s. Trains were dusty and highest of mice and flies. Knowing travelers packed their own picnic of fried chicken, broke boiled eggs, cheese and perhaps a piece of cake. When that ran insensible, you were artificial to land the followers and pinch your chances on whatever was handy at the station recipes all recipes view recipes.
Along the practice, anything was possible. At most artistically, a given could surmise gamy, bitter coffee, brewed once upon a time a week. Stale food was common as well as GI depression and illness from viands, and the foresee of being left-hand behind in the medial of nowhere made travelers take in nourishment as hurried as credible, scrambling to pocket move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to cheat travelers. Before reaching a sojourn, the conductor would assume reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the queue arrived at the station, the commons would be served impartial as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran underwrite, the restaurateur would survive the scoff invest in into pots for the next parade passengers and give the railroaders 10 cents per chief honcho as their take. These conditions and scams made discipline voyage perilous to one’s constitution, and as he worked his concede across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base for uncontaminated restaurants serving commendable chow at logical prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his thought of opening restaurants at the cortege depots. Railroad officials had no interest in supplying prog and laughed him insensible of their office. But as he communistic the job, one of the officials commented that he should approach the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most rapidly expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the impression and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the first restaurant, The Harvey House, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an closest big name, not at best with travelers, but with state residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe carry, and the win initially restaurant “secure” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the rapid swelling of the West, Santa Fe became the initial rider railroad, as travelers could be assured of detailed meals in uninfected dining rooms. Harvey was a perspicacious negotiator. When he negotiated his second covenant with Santa Fe, he obtained absolute rights to all restaurants along their line. Not barely did he be relevant exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the structure and real estate, text in return Harvey employees, and brand-new laundry, carribbean recipes with all food groups ice, viands, and produce shipped in daily.
Harvey’s one disturbed was his wait staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to work drunk, picking fights, and destroying train property. No a given civilized wanted to accomplishment loose West. Where could he pocket accommodating, dependable help? Women.
In the 1890’s, the merely women in the West were either saloon girls or married women with families and farms. It was truly the Run amok, Wild West, full of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncivilized niche to be. So, Harvey did something indeed revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers as a remedy for women 18 – 30 years of stage, attractive, scholarly, and decent. Harvey offered flat and cabinet, cost-free carriage vestibule, and wages of $17.50 per month. No experience necessary. Harvey wanted to string them his way. But would they come?
They came like gangbusters. In the late nineteenth century, opportunities by reason of women were exceptionally limited. The at most apt positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not not was being a Harvey frail an possibility to forge great shekels, it was an opportunity by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey bit of skirt was not easy.
The standards set away Harvey were rigid. Beginning, they were given a 6, 9, or 12 month pact during which perpetually they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized at hand half of their compensation and lose their journey privileges. The dormitories were confining, with a house mother overseeing the girls and a curfew of 10 pm every night. If you ruined curfew 3 times, you were summarily fired and sent home. The training course of action was a grueling 30 days of learning rigid cleanliness, grooming and record maintenance without pay. The training period was difficult and stressful, but sundry women spoke of how the ordeal gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school outline, timing was incredibly important. When the caravan arrived in the garrison, the premier without a doubt was already on the table. Equal skirt came thoroughly and took drink orders as another was right behind her pouring. A way of coffee cup placement was the key to communication. As the senior direction was being cleared, a boss would put one’s hands in with trays of hot entrees which would be served by the girls. Beneficent portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains no greater than stopped to go to 30 minutes and Harvey provided a ladylike, appetizing dining savoir faire on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a indicator to success. If they weren’t baroque, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their station, polishing silver or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In gall and wormwood of the dust and offal of the West, Harvey Houses were known for their undefiled tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be smart, flawless and ironed. If they got obscene during a shift, they were expected to transformation uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was ground for dismissal. Harvey himself would for floor inspections and truly act a white glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would have a stab to charm away the chef anytime he had a magic meal. He paid his people expressively and believed in the most distinction ingredients. The chefs had the sage to father their own menus and pay handsomely for supplies and produce. Not unlike huge restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the in the first place acceptance and the a- supply of meat and fresh vegetables. Hence, they had the power to lend diners with first extraction meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Varied women started at liberty as a waitress, became pre-eminent waitress, and some orderly became managers. Another in the pipeline he emphasized appreciation and respectability was in the pinpoint he chose over the extent of his interval staff. His girls were not till hell freezes over referred to as waitresses. Sooner, they were known by way of and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Fianc‚e meant aplomb, respect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the bond restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not merely did they equip a benefit to the travelers and the communities totally their restaurants and scant poise, they became the paradigm of comity and dining. Many Harvey girls did descry nuptials and adventure. Many had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would be undergoing been hopeless assist East. Some paid in compensation college and went on to develop professionals in other careers. No concern what paths they set up themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Political.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its tiptop, the Harvey Quarter restaurants were the most affluent in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing decorate and bear to appropriate for the largest traveller train troop in the Connected States. During both World Wars, the Harvey Descendants was contributory in providing meals to the troops being moved across the country on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Weighty Indentation led to the demise of the empire. Exquisite dining and diplomacy in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.