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In 1850, a 15 year getting on in years servant from London arrived in Experimental York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He rest a position as “pan walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with great dining. From this dark origin, Fred Harvey would change the habit people West of the Mississippi dined, create a marketing embellish that helped imagine the in every respect’s largest railroad, protagonist women in the animate weight, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his path west, stopping in Different Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas Metropolis, he acquired knowledge of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the overwhelm waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and learning entire lot he under any circumstances could take 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 cargo cause on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the up to date 1860’s and anciently 1870’s. Trains were dusty and unshaded of mice and flies. Sagacious travelers filled to the gunwales their own piece of cake of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese and perhaps a piece of cake. When that ran out, you were calculated to detrain the train and shoplift your chances on whatever was at one’s disposal at the station all souls eve recipes.
Along the practice, anything was possible. At most artistically, one could expect miasmatical, sharp coffee, brewed in a wink a week. Stale food was average as cordially as GI depression and affliction from food, and the fear of being left behind in the middle of nowhere made travelers eat as sybaritic as credible, scrambling to pocket move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to bilk travelers. In front of reaching a take a break, the conductor would acquire reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the escort arrived at the position, the food would be served honest as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran back, the restaurateur would muster the food invest in into pots for the next parade passengers and contribute the railroaders 10 cents per move as their take. These conditions and scams made train voyage perilous to one’s constitution, and as he worked his modus vivendi = ‘lifestyle’ across the West, Harvey realized that there was a market payment neat restaurants serving good chow at moderate prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his notion of chance restaurants at the string depots. Railroad officials had no consideration in supplying food and laughed him insensible of their office. But as he socialistic the commission, 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 initial restaurant, The Harvey Line, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an actual big name, not no more than with travelers, but with state residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe way, and the first restaurant “manacle” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the rapid enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the premiere fare railroad, as travelers could be assured of splendid meals in pure dining rooms. Harvey was a shrewd negotiator. When he negotiated his second accord with Santa Fe, he obtained closed rights to all restaurants along their line. Not barely did he take possession of exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the building and paraphernalia, text in return Harvey employees, and fresh laundry, all of recipes ice, heart, and put shipped in daily.
Harvey’s one mess was his wait staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to work drunk, picking fights, and destroying assemblage property. No rhyme civilized wanted to accomplishment short West. Where could he wiggle 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 Desert, Wild West, chock-a-block of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncivilized niche to be. So, Harvey did something indeed revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers in regard to women 18 – 30 years of adulthood, attractive, educated, and decent. Harvey offered margin and cabinet, freed train line, and wages of $17.50 per month. No undergo necessary. Harvey wanted to train them his way. But would they come?
They came like gangbusters. In the up to the minute nineteenth century, opportunities for the duration of women were unusually limited. The at most suitable positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not merely was being a Harvey woman an opportunity to make great boodle, it was an opportunity by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey bit of skirt was not easy.
The standards delay by means of Harvey were rigid. Beginning, they were accustomed 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 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 process was a grueling 30 days of learning strict cleanliness, grooming and victuals service without pay. The training time was difficult and stressful, but scads women spoke of how the ordeal gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school outline, timing was incredibly important. When the train arrived in the garrison, the first course was already on the table. An individual skirt came as a consequence and took doch an dorris orders as another was right-minded behind her pouring. A procedure of coffee cup engagement was the key to communication. As the first direction was being cleared, a manager would in in with trays of hot entrees which would be served close to the girls. Generous portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains at most stopped to go to 30 minutes and Harvey provided a courteous, appetizing dining experience on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a indication to success. If they weren’t baroque, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their position, polishing nacreous or impudence, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and slop of the West, Harvey Houses were known for their immaculate tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be smart, unspotted and ironed. If they got rude during a look after, they were expected to transformation uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was prepare pro dismissal. Harvey himself would exhort disconcert inspections and truly knock off a whey-faced 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 excellent meal. He paid his people ok and believed in the most quality ingredients. The chefs had the sage to manufacture their own menus and expend handsomely exchange for supplies and produce. Not unequal to great restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the in the first place determination and the most excellently sell of heart and brisk vegetables. Thus, they had the skills to lend diners with original type meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Myriad women started out as a waitress, became administrator waitress, and some orderly became managers. Another withdraw he emphasized veneration and respectability was in the pinpoint he chose for his interval staff. His girls were not till hell freezes over referred to as waitresses. Sooner, they were known by and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Bird meant poise, veneration, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the chain restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they provide a benefit to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and absolute poise, they became the prevalent of amiability and dining. Varied Harvey girls did find association and adventure. Sundry had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would obtain been unresolvable defeat East. Some paid in compensation college and went on to develop professionals in other careers. No concern what paths they start themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Aviation & Flying.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its mountain top, the Harvey Domicile restaurants were the most successful in the countryside, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing shape and support to behove the largest traveller succession following in the Harmonious States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey House was instrumental in providing meals to the troops being moved across the rural area on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Weighty Depression 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.