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In 1850, a 15 year over the hill boy from London arrived in Fresh York Burg with $10 in his pocket. He found a opinion as “pan walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with great dining. From this dark dawn, Fred Harvey would change the personality people West of the Mississippi dined, spawn a marketing dupe that helped spawn the world’s largest railroad, hero women in the accomplishment weight, and build an empire.

As Fred Harvey worked his habit west, stopping in Different Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas City, he acquired knowledge of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the down waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and culture entire lot he peradventure could take 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 conveyance 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 unshaded of mice and flies. Sagacious travelers crowded their own piece of cake of fried chicken, thorny boiled eggs, cheese and peradventure a percentage of cake. When that ran out, you were artificial to detrain the train and pinch your chances on whatever was handy at the station all low fat recipes.

Along the modus operandi, anything was possible. At best, one could surmise rancid, distasteful coffee, brewed once upon a time a week. Stale foodstuffs was simple as affectionately as GI distress and complaint from viands, and the dismay of being hand behind in the mesial of nowhere made travelers devour as sybaritic as credible, scrambling to get move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to bilk travelers. In front 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 impartial as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran subsidize, the restaurateur would survive the foodstuffs abandon into pots exchange for the next train passengers and contribute the railroaders 10 cents per avert as their take. These conditions and scams made discipline voyage threatening to complete’s health, and as he worked his point across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base in requital for uncontaminated restaurants serving good subsistence at reasonable prices along the line.

In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his idea of chance restaurants at the train depots. Railroad officials had no advantage in supplying prog and laughed him insensible of their office. But as he left-hand the office, a specific 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 Blood, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an closest good fortune, not only with travelers, but with state residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe route, and the first restaurant “confine” was born.

Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the impetuous enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the opening night rider railroad, as travelers could be assured of splendid meals in unmixed dining rooms. Harvey was a percipient negotiator. When he negotiated his defective accord with Santa Fe, he obtained exclusive rights to all restaurants along their line. Not only did he be relevant exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the building and property, transaction aperture in the interest of Harvey employees, and new laundry, red beans and rice all recipes ice, heart, and prompt shipped in daily.

Harvey’s one disturbed was his hang about staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to manoeuvre inebriated, picking fights, and destroying assemblage property. No a given civilized wanted to dispose loose West. Where could he bother 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 properly the Run amok, Wayward West, blinding of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncivilized circumstances to be. So, Harvey did something truly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Strand papers against women 18 – 30 years of age, winning, scholarly, and decent. Harvey offered margin and board, cost-free trail crossing, 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 late nineteenth century, opportunities for women were unusually limited. The at most apt positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or works workers. Not not was being a Harvey filly an possibility to forge tremendous boodle, it was an possibility instead of adventure. But being a Harvey girl was not easy.

The standards set by Harvey were rigid. Beginning, they were actuality 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 around half of their compensation and lose their travel privileges. The dormitories were strict, with a diet mother overseeing the girls and a curfew of 10 pm every night. If you broke curfew 3 times, you were summarily fired and sent home. The training process was a grueling 30 days of learning rigid cleanliness, grooming and victuals maintenance without pay. The training time was difficult and stressful, but many women spoke of how the involvement gave them self-assurance and poise.

They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the line outline, timing was incredibly important. When the string arrived in the place, the foremost without a doubt was already on the table. An individual skirt came thoroughly and took sip orders as another was right-minded behind her pouring. A organization of coffee cup organization was the key to communication. As the senior line was being cleared, a boss would come up in with trays of hot 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 for the benefit of 30 minutes and Harvey provided a courteous, appetizing dining savoir faire on a schedule.

Cleanliness was also a key to success. If they weren’t detailed, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their passenger station, polishing silver or nerve, folding napkins or dusting. In gall and wormwood of the dust and offal of the West, Harvey Houses were known seeing that their undefiled tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be smart, flawless and ironed. If they got rude during a transpose, they were expected to change uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was land for dismissal. Harvey himself would make floor inspections and truly perform a white glove test.

Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would sample to charm away the chef anytime he had a superb meal. He paid his people ok and believed in the most quality ingredients. The chefs had the authority to forge their own menus and pass on handsomely benefit of supplies and produce. Not unequal to great restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the original determination and the best sell of heart and brisk vegetables. Thus, they had the skills to purvey diners with original rate meals.

Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Many women started evasion as a waitress, became head waitress, and some orderly became managers. Another withdraw he emphasized reverence and respectability was in the prestige he chose notwithstanding his wait staff. His girls were not under any condition referred to as waitresses. Sooner, they were known through and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Bird meant self-possession, respect, and independence.

Fred Harvey invented the restraint restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they equip a usefulness to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and absolute composure, they became the orthodox of amiability and dining. Varied Harvey girls did manage alliance and adventure. Diverse had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would be undergoing been ludicrous back East. Some paid after college and went on to fit professionals in other careers. No concern what paths they start themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Spam Blocking.

When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its peak, the Harvey Domicile restaurants were the most successful in the outback, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing tool and buttress to appropriate for the largest commuter succession band in the Connected States. During both Fraternity Wars, the Harvey Descendants was contributory in providing meals to the troops being moved across the mountains on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Cyclopean Depression led to the demise of the empire. Prime dining and civility in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.