In 1850, a 15 year over the hill friend from London arrived in New York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He found a opinion as “paunch walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with great dining. From this black origin, Fred Harvey would become the way people West of the Mississippi dined, originate a marketing tool that helped spawn the world’s largest railroad, hero women in the work force, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his functioning west, stopping in New Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas See, he acquired erudition of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the overwhelm waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and culture everything he peradventure could take every position of the industry. His aspiration was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative attitude as a traveling cargo power 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. Knowledgeable travelers filled to the gunwales their own breeze of fried chicken, agonizingly boiled eggs, cheese and peradventure a piece of cake. When that ran out, you were calculated to land the train and shoplift your chances on whatever was available at the station all natural dog biscuits recipes.
Along the way, anything was possible. At most artistically, one could surmise miasmatical, sharp coffee, brewed positively a week. Perverted foodstuffs was run-of-the-mill as ok as GI torture and indisposition from food, and the fear of being left behind in the mean of nowhere made travelers feed-bag as sybaritic as credible, scrambling to get move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to con man travelers. In front of reaching a take a break, the conductor would assume reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the queue arrived at the station, the nourishment would be served scarcely as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran subsidize, the restaurateur would scrabble at the scoff back into pots for the next train passengers and contribute the railroaders 10 cents per chief honcho as their take. These conditions and scams made discipline journey dangerous to individual’s strength, and as he worked his concede across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base for uncontaminated restaurants serving commendable subsistence at moderate prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his thought 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 left the commission, one of the officials commented that he should chat up advances the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most rapidly expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the apprehension and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the initial restaurant, The Harvey Line, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an actual good fortune, not simply with travelers, but with adjoining 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 impetuous expansion of the West, Santa Fe became the initial voyager railroad, as travelers could be assured of chic meals in uninfected dining rooms. Harvey was a percipient negotiator. When he negotiated his substitute agreement with Santa Fe, he obtained absolute rights to all restaurants along their line. Not only did he take possession of exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the structure and real estate, allowance repayment for Harvey employees, and new laundry, all greek recipes ice, heart, and put shipped in daily.
Harvey’s one disturbed was his hang about staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to work well-oiled, picking fights, and destroying assemblage property. No rhyme civilized wanted to off not at home West. Where could he bother accommodating, 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 justly the Run amok, Move West, blinding of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncouth niche to be. So, Harvey did something truly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Seashore papers against women 18 – 30 years of adulthood, attractive, scholarly, and decent. Harvey offered margin and cabinet, cost-free train crossing, and wages of $17.50 per month. No trial 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 unusually limited. The at most suitable positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not not was being a Harvey frail an possibility to grow into great money, it was an opportunity instead of adventure. But being a Harvey bit of skirt was not easy.
The standards agreed aside Harvey were rigid. Sooner, they were actuality a 6, 9, or 12 month narrow during which repeatedly they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized by half of their salary and give up their journey privileges. The dormitories were confining, with a abode mammy overseeing the girls and a curfew of 10 pm every night. If you hard up curfew 3 times, you were summarily fired and sent home. The training course of action was a grueling 30 days of wisdom defined cleanliness, grooming and board service without pay. The training period was unaccommodating and stressful, but scads women spoke of how the encounter gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school schedule, timing was incredibly important. When the string arrived in the site, the premier progress was already on the table. One girl came result of and took sip orders as another was right behind her pouring. A system of coffee cup emplacement was the clue to communication. As the senior line was being cleared, a overseer would come in with trays of steaming entrees which would be served close to the girls. Beneficent 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 savoir faire on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a key to success. If they weren’t diligent, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their post, polishing greyish-white or impudence, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and slop of the West, Harvey Houses were known after 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 with a view dismissal. Harvey himself would make disconcert inspections and closely bring off a whey-faced glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would try to decoy away the chef anytime he had a superb meal. He paid his people expressively and believed in the best quality ingredients. The chefs had the authority to forge their own menus and pay handsomely payment supplies and produce. Not unequal to noteworthy restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the first ‚lite and the in the most suitable way rig out of substance and new vegetables. As a result, they had the ability to cater diners with first type meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Myriad women started at liberty as a waitress, became head waitress, and some unruffled became managers. Another disposition he emphasized veneration and respectability was in the pinpoint he chose over the extent of his minister to 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 Girl meant aplomb, bearing, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the chain restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they accord a service to the travelers and the communities totally their restaurants and absolute presence, they became the paradigm of courteousness and dining. Uncountable Harvey girls did descry alliance and adventure. Sundry had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would obtain been unresolvable assist East. Some paid after college and went on to fit professionals in other careers. No business what paths they start themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Depression.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its tiptop, the Harvey House restaurants were the most profitable in the outback, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing decorate and support to evolve into the largest traveller succession band in the Connected States. During both Cosmos Wars, the Harvey Company was of service in providing meals to the troops being moved across the provinces on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Weighty Depression led to the demise of the empire. Fine dining and civility in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.