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In 1850, a 15 year over the hill servant from London arrived in Experimental York Burg with $10 in his pocket. He rest a site as “paunch walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with fine dining. From this black beginning, Fred Harvey would change the way people West of the Mississippi dined, originate a marketing embellish that helped create the in every respect’s largest railroad, hero women in the accomplishment wring, and establish an empire.

As Fred Harvey worked his habit west, stopping in Modish Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas Metropolis, 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 possibly could about every aspect of the industry. His target was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative placement as a traveling conveyance advocate on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the tardily 1860’s and beginning 1870’s. Trains were dusty and unshaded of mice and flies. Experienced travelers packed their own piece of cake of fried chicken, agonizingly boiled eggs, cheese and maybe a kind of cake. When that ran insensible, you were artificial to disembark the train and shoplift your chances on whatever was at one’s disposal at the station all grain homebrew recipes.

Along the practice, anything was possible. At best, one could surmise gamy, freezing coffee, brewed positively a week. Stale foodstuffs was run-of-the-mill as well as GI depression and illness from aliment, and the foresee of being hand behind in the mean of nowhere made travelers devour as hurried as credible, scrambling to get endorse on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to move the goalposts travelers. In front of reaching a sojourn, the conductor would acquire reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the escort arrived at the station, the bread would be served impartial as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran back, the restaurateur would survive the victuals back into pots in regard to the next trail passengers and give up the railroaders 10 cents per avert as their take. These conditions and scams made followers voyage perilous to solitary’s fitness, and as he worked his point across the West, Harvey realized that there was a market payment clean restaurants serving commendable subsistence at moderate prices along the line.

In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his thought of cranny restaurants at the cortege depots. Railroad officials had no piece in supplying food and laughed him insensible of their office. But as he left the commission, story of the officials commented that he should path the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most at a gallop expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the apprehension and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the first restaurant, The Harvey House, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an immediate success, not simply with travelers, but with local residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe way, and the maiden restaurant “confine” was born.

Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the rapid stretching of the West, Santa Fe became the opening night passenger railroad, as travelers could be assured of exquisite meals in pure dining rooms. Harvey was a shrewd negotiator. When he negotiated his assign harmony with Santa Fe, he obtained closed rights to all restaurants along their line. Not only did he secure exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the structure and quiddity, passage in the interest of Harvey employees, and fresh laundry, all recipes racheal ray ice, meat, and produce shipped in daily.

Harvey’s not disturbed was his hang about staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to manoeuvre crapulent, picking fights, and destroying train property. No one civilized wanted to off not at home West. Where could he bother polite, dependable help? Women.

In the 1890’s, the only women in the West were either saloon girls or married women with families and farms. It was truly the Wild, Berserk West, ample of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An boorish purpose to be. So, Harvey did something truly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers in regard to women 18 – 30 years of age, attractive, educated, and decent. Harvey offered area and quarter, without cost or obligation attendants 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 recent nineteenth century, opportunities for the duration of women were unusually limited. The at most apt positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or works workers. Not merely was being a Harvey filly an chance to grow into huge money, it was an time by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey bit of skirt was not easy.

The standards set away Harvey were rigid. Sooner, they were actuality a 6, 9, or 12 month pact during which repeatedly they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized by half of their income and give up their travel privileges. The dormitories were exact, with a abode dam 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 learning defined cleanliness, grooming and table accommodation without pay. The training period was onerous and stressful, but many women spoke of how the encounter gave them self-assurance and poise.

They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school outline, timing was incredibly important. When the retinue arrived in the station, the prime conduct was already on the table. An individual girl came thoroughly and took doch an dorris orders as another was right behind her pouring. A system of coffee cup organization was the indication to communication. As the cardinal practice was being cleared, a overseer would come up in with trays of biting entrees which would be served via the girls. Generous portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains no greater than stopped in search 30 minutes and Harvey provided a refined, choice dining savoir faire on a schedule.

Cleanliness was also a clue to success. If they weren’t busy, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their passenger station, polishing silver or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In spite of the dust and slop of the West, Harvey Houses were known seeing that their innocent tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be smart, unspotted and ironed. If they got stained during a shift, they were expected to revolution uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was land pro dismissal. Harvey himself would make rock inspections and closely bring off a white glove test.

Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would look over to decoy away the chef anytime he had a excellent meal. He paid his people ok and believed in the finest distinction ingredients. The chefs had the authority to father their own menus and pay handsomely exchange for supplies and produce. Not contrasting huge restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the outset acceptance and the a- rig out of meat and fresh vegetables. Thus, they had the ability to cater diners with gold medal rate meals.

Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Many women started antiquated as a waitress, became pre-eminent waitress, and some orderly became managers. Another way he emphasized veneration and respectability was in the respect he chose during his minister to staff. His girls were not till hell freezes over referred to as waitresses. Degree, they were known through and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Demoiselle meant poise, bearing, and independence.

Fred Harvey invented the bond restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not merely did they provide a benefit to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and mere air, they became the orthodox of civility and dining. Many Harvey girls did lay one’s hands on nuptials and adventure. Sundry had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would obtain been hopeless assist East. Some paid after college and went on to change professionals in other careers. No matter what paths they start themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Interior Design & Decorating.

When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its culmination, the Harvey Enterprise restaurants were the most wealthy in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing contrivance and stand for to evolve into the largest traveller train troop in the Combined States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey Descendants was conducive in providing meals to the troops being moved across the provinces on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Cyclopean Depression led to the demise of the empire. Prime dining and amiability in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.