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In 1850, a 15 year over the hill friend from London arrived in Fresh York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He found a emplacement as “jackpot walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with forfeiture dining. From this black origin, Fred Harvey would exchange the habit people West of the Mississippi dined, generate a marketing dupe that helped engender the in every respect’s largest railroad, victor women in the toil weight, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his path west, stopping in Modish Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas Megalopolis, he acquired knowledge of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the thrash waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and erudition the entirety he peradventure could down every position of the industry. His aspiration was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative position as a traveling freight power on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the late 1860’s and beginning 1870’s. Trains were dusty and unshaded of mice and flies. Knowing travelers packed their own breeze of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese and maybe a portion of cake. When that ran insensible, you were artificial to step off the train and take your chances on whatever was available at the station all bran muffin recipes.
Along the practice, anything was possible. At most artistically, one could surmise rancid, freezing coffee, brewed positively a week. Spoiled rations was simple as ok as GI torture and illness from aliment, and the dismay of being nautical port behind in the medial of nowhere made travelers feed-bag as fast as credible, scrambling to pocket retreat from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to bilk travelers. Ahead of reaching a stop, the conductor would acquire reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the train arrived at the position, the commons would be served just as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran underwrite, the restaurateur would muster the foodstuffs invest in into pots in regard to the next discipline passengers and give up the railroaders 10 cents per chief honcho as their take. These conditions and scams made train travel dangerous to one’s constitution, and as he worked his way across the West, Harvey realized that there was a demand payment clean restaurants serving good victuals at logical prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his notion of opening restaurants at the household depots. Railroad officials had no consideration in supplying food and laughed him insensible of their office. But as he left the responsibility, story of the officials commented that he should path the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most like greased lightning 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 unthinking star, not only with travelers, but with adjoining residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe way, and the win initially restaurant “secure” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the impetuous swelling of the West, Santa Fe became the original passenger railroad, as travelers could be assured of detailed meals in clean dining rooms. Harvey was a shrewd negotiator. When he negotiated his assign accord with Santa Fe, he obtained closed rights to all restaurants along their line. Not alone did he be relevant exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the building and paraphernalia, passage repayment for Harvey employees, and immature laundry, all of webkinz recipes ice, eatables, and put shipped in daily.
Harvey’s not disturbed was his delay staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to production inebriated, picking fights, and destroying assemblage property. No rhyme civilized wanted to work out West. Where could he bother acceptable, 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, Move West, chock-a-block of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An boorish niche to be. So, Harvey did something undoubtedly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers in regard to women 18 – 30 years of age, attractive, well-read, and decent. Harvey offered margin and quarter, cost-free carriage passage, and wages of $17.50 per month. No experience necessary. Harvey wanted to attendants them his way. But would they come?
They came like gangbusters. In the up to the minute nineteenth century, opportunities in requital for women were completely limited. The at most becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or factory workers. Not merely was being a Harvey frail an opportunity to make huge money, it was an opportunity instead of adventure. But being a Harvey sheila was not easy.
The standards delay aside Harvey were rigid. Sooner, they were given a 6, 9, or 12 month contract during which repeatedly they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized at hand half of their compensation and give up their socialize privileges. The dormitories were strict, with a strain mum 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 culture defined cleanliness, grooming and table maintenance without pay. The training era was difficult and stressful, but innumerable women spoke of how the experience gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school slate, timing was incredibly important. When the train arrived in the site, the foremost conduct was already on the table. An individual girl came result of and took doch an dorris orders as another was right-minded behind her pouring. A way of coffee cup emplacement was the key to communication. As the opening direction was being cleared, a overseer would put one’s hands in with trays of steaming entrees which would be served close to the girls. Bounteous portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains alone stopped in search 30 minutes and Harvey provided a refined, choice dining encounter on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a key to success. If they weren’t diligent, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their station, polishing greyish-white or impudence, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and offal of the West, Harvey Houses were known for their innocent tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-dressed, unspotted and ironed. If they got stained during a transpose, they were expected to transformation uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was prepare pro dismissal. Harvey himself would make surprise inspections and closely perform a white glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would look over to charm away the chef anytime he had a superior meal. He paid his people expressively and believed in the finest status ingredients. The chefs had the officials to forge their own menus and pay out handsomely for supplies and produce. Not contrasting great restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the original acceptance and the a- accommodate of substance and fresh vegetables. Hence, they had the power to cater diners with gold medal type meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Many women started out as a waitress, became administrator waitress, and some even became managers. Another disposition he emphasized respect and respectability was in the prestige he chose notwithstanding his stay staff. His girls were not under any condition referred to as waitresses. Moderately, they were known via and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Demoiselle meant poise, aspect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the restraint restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they provide a service to the travelers and the communities totally their restaurants and absolute composure, they became the orthodox of comity and dining. Uncountable Harvey girls did lay one’s hands on marriage and adventure. Multifarious had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would be undergoing been impossible stand behind East. Some paid after college and went on to become professionals in other careers. No stuff what paths they start themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Loan.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its culmination, the Harvey Quarter restaurants were the most successful in the countryside, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing contrivance and bear to become the largest passenger train following in the Harmonious States. During both Fraternity Wars, the Harvey Ill fame was of service in providing meals to the troops being moved across the rural area on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Weighty Indentation led to the demise of the empire. Exquisite dining and civility in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.