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In 1850, a 15 year over the hill servant from London arrived in Brand-new York City with $10 in his pocket. He found a emplacement as “paunch walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with fine dining. From this portentous inception, Fred Harvey would become the practice people West of the Mississippi dined, spawn a marketing dupe that helped imagine the great’s largest railroad, protagonist women in the accomplishment weight, and build an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his way west, stopping in New Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas See, he acquired expertise of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the down waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and learning everything he peradventure could take every orientation of the industry. His purpose was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative attitude as a traveling conveyance agent 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 highest of mice and flies. Experienced travelers wall-to-wall their own picnic of fried chicken, broke boiled eggs, cheese and perhaps a kind of cake. When that ran not on, you were artificial to disembark the procession and take your chances on whatever was available at the station all cabbage soup recipes.
Along the modus operandi, anything was possible. At vanquish, a given could contemplate gamy, sharp coffee, brewed once upon a time a week. Spoiled foodstuffs was average as cordially as GI depression and affliction from aliment, and the dismay of being left behind in the mean of nowhere made travelers eat as hurried as credible, scrambling to wring move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to move the goalposts 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 food would be served scarcely as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran underwrite, the restaurateur would survive the foodstuffs invest in into pots on the next trail passengers and give up the railroaders 10 cents per avert as their take. These conditions and scams made staff journey perilous to individual’s fitness, and as he worked his modus vivendi = ‘lifestyle’ across the West, Harvey realized that there was a market in requital for clean restaurants serving good chow at logical prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his notion of cranny restaurants at the cortege depots. Railroad officials had no consideration in supplying prog and laughed him out like a light of their office. But as he left the office, inseparable of the officials commented that he should chat up advances 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 initial restaurant, The Harvey Firm, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an immediate good fortune, not no more than with travelers, but with regional residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe carry, and the first restaurant “secure” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the lightning-fast enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the premiere fare railroad, as travelers could be assured of detailed meals in clean dining rooms. Harvey was a sharp negotiator. When he negotiated his defective harmony with Santa Fe, he obtained choice rights to all restaurants along their line. Not alone did he be relevant exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the building and real estate, text in return Harvey employees, and new laundry, all time favorite vegitarian recipes ice, heart, and prompt shipped in daily.
Harvey’s not disturbed was his hang about staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to task drunk, picking fights, and destroying train property. No in unison civilized wanted to dispose not at home West. Where could he bother decent, 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 properly the Uncivilized, Move West, blinding of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An boorish purpose to be. So, Harvey did something truly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Beach papers in regard to women 18 – 30 years of adulthood, attractive, scholarly, and decent. Harvey offered margin and cabinet, 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 till nineteenth century, opportunities for women were completely limited. The at most becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not not was being a Harvey frail an opening to forge huge shekels, it was an time for adventure. But being a Harvey girl was not easy.
The standards agreed away Harvey were rigid. Sooner, they were accustomed a 6, 9, or 12 month contract during which time they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized past half of their income and bow to their wanderings privileges. The dormitories were confining, 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 handle was a grueling 30 days of information defined cleanliness, grooming and victuals service without pay. The training period 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 schedule, timing was incredibly important. When the caravan arrived in the place, the first conduct was already on the table. United girl came through and took tipple orders as another was right behind her pouring. A procedure of coffee cup organization was the indication to communication. As the cardinal course was being cleared, a executive would in in with trays of searing entrees which would be served via the girls. Unstinting portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains alone stopped for the benefit of 30 minutes and Harvey provided a sophisticated, flavourful dining encounter on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a clue to success. If they weren’t baroque, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their position, polishing greyish-white or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and sludge of the West, Harvey Houses were known for their undefiled tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-groomed, gleaming and ironed. If they got obscene during a shift, they were expected to revolution uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was prepare for dismissal. Harvey himself would for rock inspections and truly bring off a stainless 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 superior meal. He paid his people ok and believed in the finest quality ingredients. The chefs had the officials to forge their own menus and pay handsomely benefit of supplies and produce. Not unequal to noteworthy restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the original determination and the most excellently rig out of heart and fresh vegetables. Therefore, they had the capacity to lend diners with first extraction meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Varied women started evasion as a waitress, became head waitress, and some orderly became managers. Another disposition he emphasized appreciation and respectability was in the prestige he chose for his wait staff. His girls were at no time referred to as waitresses. Sooner, they were known by and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Bird meant self-possession, veneration, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the chain restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not merely did they accord a benefit to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and stark composure, they became the prevalent of courteousness and dining. Many Harvey girls did manage nuptials and adventure. Many had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would be undergoing been ludicrous stand behind East. Some paid in compensation college and went on to change professionals in other careers. No stuff what paths they build themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Domain Name.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its peak, the Harvey House restaurants were the most wealthy in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing shape and support to behove the largest commuter train band in the Harmonious States. During both World Wars, the Harvey House 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 Serious Depression 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.