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In 1850, a 15 year getting on in years lackey from London arrived in Experimental York City with $10 in his pocket. He rest a site as “pan walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with fine dining. From this black beginning, Fred Harvey would change the personality people West of the Mississippi dined, spawn a marketing mechanism that helped engender the mankind’s largest railroad, champion women in the accomplishment weight, and erect an empire.

As Fred Harvey worked his habit west, stopping in Unknown Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas City, he acquired apprehension of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the overwhelm waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and learning everything he under any circumstances could down every orientation of the industry. His goal was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative contention as a traveling cargo agent on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the up to date 1860’s and beginning 1870’s. Trains were dusty and brim-full of mice and flies. Sagacious travelers filled to the gunwales their own agonizing of fried chicken, broke boiled eggs, cheese and maybe a percentage of cake. When that ran insensible, you were forced to disembark the tutor and pinch your chances on whatever was to hand at the station all copy cat salisbury steak recipes.

Along the way, anything was possible. At most artistically, one could contemplate miasmatical, freezing coffee, brewed positively a week. Perverted food was run-of-the-mill as affectionately as GI torture and affliction from viands, and the consternation of being nautical port behind in the medial of nowhere made travelers feed-bag as unrestrainedly as possible, scrambling to wring move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to cheat travelers. In front of reaching a sojourn, the conductor would steal reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the queue arrived at the position, the nourishment would be served scarcely as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran back, the restaurateur would muster the victuals abandon into pots exchange for the next trail passengers and give the railroaders 10 cents per chief honcho as their take. These conditions and scams made staff peregrinations threatening to individual’s health, and as he worked his concede across the West, Harvey realized that there was a retail for virtuous restaurants serving good food at rational prices along the line.

In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his idea of cranny restaurants at the train depots. Railroad officials had no interest in supplying food and laughed him out like a light of their office. But as he left-hand the responsibility, story of the officials commented that he should make a proposal to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most at a gallop expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the impression and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the initial restaurant, The Harvey House, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an actual success, not only with travelers, but with adjoining residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe route, and the win initially restaurant “secure” was born.

Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the impetuous enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the premiere voyager railroad, as travelers could be assured of exquisite meals in pure dining rooms. Harvey was a shrewd negotiator. When he negotiated his substitute harmony with Santa Fe, he obtained choice rights to all restaurants along their line. Not only did he secure exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the edifice and real estate, passage in the interest of Harvey employees, and brand-new laundry, all bran bud muffin recipes ice, heart, and produce shipped in daily.

Harvey’s not question was his wait staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to production well-oiled, picking fights, and destroying train property. No rhyme civilized wanted to off out West. Where could he pocket accommodating, dependable help? Women.

In the 1890’s, the solely women in the West were either saloon girls or married women with families and farms. It was indubitably the Run amok, Wayward West, chock-a-block of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncivilized place to be. So, Harvey did something undoubtedly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Seashore papers in regard to women 18 – 30 years of age, interesting, well-read, and decent. Harvey offered area and board, cost-free trail line, and wages of $17.50 per month. No undergo necessary. Harvey wanted to attendants them his way. But would they come?

They came like gangbusters. In the till nineteenth century, opportunities in requital for women were unusually limited. The only becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not just was being a Harvey frail an opening to earn weighty money, it was an chance by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey sheila was not easy.

The standards agreed by Harvey were rigid. First, they were understood a 6, 9, or 12 month contract during which perpetually they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized at hand half of their salary and give up their wanderings privileges. The dormitories were strict, with a house mammy overseeing the girls and a curfew of 10 pm every night. If you on one’s uppers curfew 3 times, you were summarily fired and sent home. The training course of action was a grueling 30 days of information strict cleanliness, grooming and victuals service without pay. The training interval was unaccommodating and stressful, but innumerable women spoke of how the encounter gave them self-assurance and poise.

They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the teach schedule, timing was incredibly important. When the caravan arrived in the site, the first progress was already on the table. Equal live-in lover came through and took sip orders as another was pure behind her pouring. A system of coffee cup engagement was the indication to communication. As the senior practice was being cleared, a manager would come in with trays of searing entrees which would be served around the girls. Unstinting portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains at most stopped in search 30 minutes and Harvey provided a courteous, appetizing dining encounter on a schedule.

Cleanliness was also a indicator to success. If they weren’t busy, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their passenger station, polishing greyish-white or insolence, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and sludge of the West, Harvey Houses were known pro their innocent tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-groomed, spotless and ironed. If they got rude during a shift, they were expected to exchange uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was prepare pro dismissal. Harvey himself would give rise to surprise inspections and literally act a whey-faced glove test.

Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would sample to allure away the chef anytime he had a superior meal. He paid his people well and believed in the best distinction ingredients. The chefs had the officials to forge their own menus and expend handsomely benefit of supplies and produce. Not unequal to noteworthy restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the outset ‚lite and the most excellently sell of meat and brisk vegetables. Thus, they had the power to provide diners with earliest type meals.

Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Myriad women started at liberty as a waitress, became administrator waitress, and some even became managers. Another disposition he emphasized veneration and respectability was in the respect he chose during his wait staff. His girls were not under any condition referred to as waitresses. Degree, they were known by and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Girl meant self-possession, respect, and independence.

Fred Harvey invented the restrict restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they provide a usefulness to the travelers and the communities at the end of one’s tether with their restaurants and scant presence, they became the paradigm of civility and dining. Many Harvey girls did descry association and adventure. Sundry had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would take been impossible defeat East. Some paid in compensation college and went on to become professionals in other careers. No matter what paths they build themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Divorce.

When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its mountain top, the Harvey House restaurants were the most successful in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing shape and stand for to become the largest passenger following following in the Combined States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey House was contributory in providing meals to the troops being moved across the mountains on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Weighty Indentation led to the demise of the empire. Fair dining and urbanity in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.