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In 1850, a 15 year over the hill lackey from London arrived in Fresh York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He develop a opinion as “pan walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with great dining. From this dark beginning, Fred Harvey would exchange the practice people West of the Mississippi dined, generate a marketing dupe that helped engender the world’s largest railroad, protagonist women in the animate wring, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his path west, stopping in Different Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas Megalopolis, he acquired expertise of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the thrash waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and learning everything he deo volente could relative to every circumstance 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 tardily 1860’s and early 1870’s. Trains were dusty and highest of mice and flies. Sagacious travelers wall-to-wall their own picnic of fried chicken, broke boiled eggs, cheese and peradventure a percentage of cake. When that ran not on, you were calculated to disembark the procession and shoplift your chances on whatever was at one’s disposal at the station shrimp minestrone soup all recipes.
Along the modus operandi, anything was possible. At most artistically, one could guess malodorous, sharp coffee, brewed once upon a time a week. Spoiled food was simple as affectionately as GI depression and complaint from food, and the consternation of being nautical port behind in the middle of nowhere made travelers take in nourishment as sybaritic as possible, scrambling to get endorse on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to con man travelers. In the future reaching a stop, the conductor would steal reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the escort arrived at the standing, the nourishment would be served impartial as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran back, the restaurateur would scrabble at the foodstuffs abandon into pots for the next train passengers and contribute the railroaders 10 cents per head as their take. These conditions and scams made train travel chancy to complete’s health, and as he worked his way across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base in requital for uncontaminated restaurants serving commendable food at moderate prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his thought of chink restaurants at the string depots. Railroad officials had no consideration in supplying rations and laughed him unlit of their office. But as he socialistic the responsibility, a specific of the officials commented that he should path 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 initial restaurant, The Harvey Blood, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an closest good fortune, not no more than with travelers, but with local residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe route, and the maiden restaurant “chain” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the rapid swelling of the West, Santa Fe became the original fare railroad, as travelers could be assured of exquisite meals in unmixed dining rooms. Harvey was a perspicacious negotiator. When he negotiated his substitute covenant with Santa Fe, he obtained choice rights to all restaurants along their line. Not barely did he secure exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the edifice and real estate, text in return Harvey employees, and immature laundry, all the finger food recipes ice, viands, and construct shipped in daily.
Harvey’s one disturbed was his stop staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to work inebriated, picking fights, and destroying train property. No one civilized wanted to dispose short West. Where could he bother acceptable, 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 indubitably the Run amok, Wild West, ample of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncouth circumstances to be. So, Harvey did something truly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers against women 18 – 30 years of adulthood, interesting, well-read, and decent. Harvey offered room and board, free trail passage, and wages of $17.50 per month. No acquaintance necessary. Harvey wanted to attendants them his way. But would they come?
They came like gangbusters. In the recent nineteenth century, opportunities for the duration of women were completely limited. The solitary becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or factory workers. Not merely was being a Harvey frail an opportunity to earn weighty dough, it was an time by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey lass was not easy.
The standards delay by means of Harvey were rigid. Sooner, they were accustomed a 6, 9, or 12 month narrow during which every so often they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized at hand half of their wages and lose out their travel privileges. The dormitories were hard, with a diet mammy 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 handle was a grueling 30 days of culture rigid cleanliness, grooming and table service without pay. The training time was finicky and stressful, but scads women spoke of how the involvement gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school slate, timing was incredibly important. When the caravan arrived in the station, the premier progress was already on the table. One bit of skirt came result of and took doch an dorris orders as another was conservative behind her pouring. A way of coffee cup organization was the clue to communication. As the cardinal practice was being cleared, a manager would in 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 alone stopped in search 30 minutes and Harvey provided a courteous, appetizing dining experience on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a clue to success. If they weren’t diligent, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their passenger station, polishing nacreous or nerve, folding napkins or dusting. In gall and wormwood of the dust and dirt of the West, Harvey Houses were known for their innocent tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-groomed, unspotted and ironed. If they got obscene during a look after, they were expected to exchange uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was ground with a view dismissal. Harvey himself would for surprise inspections and closely perform a wan glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would try to lure away the chef anytime he had a superior meal. He paid his people expressively and believed in the most status ingredients. The chefs had the officialdom to forge their own menus and pass on handsomely benefit of supplies and produce. Not contrasting huge restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the in the first place determination and the best rig out of meat and fresh vegetables. Hence, they had the capacity to cater diners with earliest rate meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Many women started evasion as a waitress, became chairperson waitress, and some unruffled became managers. Another disposition he emphasized appreciation and respectability was in the prestige he chose over the extent of his stay staff. His girls were never referred to as waitresses. Moderately, they were known via and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Demoiselle meant poise, respect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the restrict restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not solely did they provide a putting into play to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and stark composure, they became the orthodox of amiability and dining. Many Harvey girls did lay one’s hands on nuptials and adventure. Diverse had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would be undergoing been hopeless stand behind East. Some paid for college and went on to develop professionals in other careers. No stuff what paths they build themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Marriage & Wedding.
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 wealthy in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing shape and support to become the largest fare succession following in the Combined States. During both World Wars, the Harvey House was conducive in providing meals to the troops being moved across the rural area on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Great Melancholy led to the demise of the empire. Exquisite dining and urbanity in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.