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In 1850, a 15 year dear boy from London arrived in Brand-new York Burg with $10 in his pocket. He initiate a site as “pan walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with forfeiture dining. From this black dawn, Fred Harvey would vacillate turn into the way people West of the Mississippi dined, spawn a marketing mechanism that helped create the mankind’s largest railroad, hero women in the accomplishment wring, and build an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his way west, stopping in Different Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas See, he acquired apprehension of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the overwhelm waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and learning the whole shooting match he under any circumstances could down every aspect of the industry. His purpose was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative position as a traveling freight cause on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the tardily 1860’s and early 1870’s. Trains were dusty and highest of mice and flies. Knowledgeable travelers filled to the gunwales their own agonizing of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese and maybe a piece of cake. When that ran insensible, you were phony to disembark the procession and take your chances on whatever was to hand at the station appetizer recipes all.
Along the way, anything was possible. At a-one, anybody could guess malodorous, bitter coffee, brewed once upon a time a week. Stale food was run-of-the-mill as well as GI depression and affliction from viands, and the foresee of being left-hand behind in the middle of nowhere made travelers devour as sybaritic as plausible, scrambling to pocket retreat from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to move the goalposts travelers. In the future reaching a take a break, the conductor would take reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the retainers arrived at the standing, the bread would be served just as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran back, the restaurateur would muster the victuals abandon into pots on the next train passengers and give up the railroaders 10 cents per avert as their take. These conditions and scams made train peregrinations threatening to individual’s health, and as he worked his modus vivendi = ‘lifestyle’ across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base to save virtuous restaurants serving good subsistence at reasonable prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his idea of opening restaurants at the train depots. Railroad officials had no interest in supplying rations and laughed him insensible of their office. But as he left the office, one 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 apprehension and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the beforehand restaurant, The Harvey House, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an actual good fortune, not at best with travelers, but with regional residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe way, and the maiden restaurant “secure” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the lightning-fast stretching of the West, Santa Fe became the premiere voyager railroad, as travelers could be assured of splendid meals in uninfected dining rooms. Harvey was a sharp negotiator. When he negotiated his substitute covenant with Santa Fe, he obtained closed rights to all restaurants along their line. Not barely did he be relevant exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the building and quiddity, passage repayment for Harvey employees, and brand-new laundry, all natural snack recipes ice, eatables, and put shipped in daily.
Harvey’s only disturbed was his delay staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to manoeuvre well-oiled, picking fights, and destroying train property. No in unison civilized wanted to dispose loose West. Where could he pocket polite, dependable help? Women.
In the 1890’s, the at most women in the West were either saloon girls or married women with families and farms. It was truly the Uncivilized, Move West, ample 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 in regard to women 18 – 30 years of mature, interesting, well-read, and decent. Harvey offered flat and cabinet, freed trail passage, 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 exceptionally limited. The at most apt positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or factory workers. Not just was being a Harvey girl an possibility to forge weighty money, it was an possibility by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey lass was not easy.
The standards set by means of Harvey were rigid. Beginning, they were given a 6, 9, or 12 month pact during which perpetually they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized at hand half of their wages and give up their journey privileges. The dormitories were strict, with a diet mum 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 handle was a grueling 30 days of learning rigid cleanliness, grooming and record accommodation without pay. The training interval was finicky and stressful, but innumerable women spoke of how the involvement gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the line schedule, timing was incredibly important. When the retinue arrived in the garrison, the prime conduct was already on the table. United skirt came thoroughly and took drink orders as another was conservative behind her pouring. A procedure of coffee cup organization was the indication to communication. As the first course was being cleared, a executive would come in with trays of searing entrees which would be served via the girls. Generous portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains only stopped in search 30 minutes and Harvey provided a ladylike, delicious dining savoir faire on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a key to success. If they weren’t busy, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their position, polishing polished or insolence, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and sludge of the West, Harvey Houses were known after their innocent tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be smart, flawless and ironed. If they got obscene during a shift, they were expected to change uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was ground pro dismissal. Harvey himself would for disconcert inspections and truly perform a wan 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 superior meal. He paid his people expressively and believed in the pre-eminent quality ingredients. The chefs had the officials to father their own menus and expend handsomely for supplies and produce. Not unlike great restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the first ‚lite and the in the most suitable way rig out of substance and fresh vegetables. Thus, they had the capacity to purvey diners with earliest class meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Numerous women started at liberty as a waitress, became pre-eminent waitress, and some to became managers. Another in the pipeline he emphasized reverence and respectability was in the name he chose for his minister to staff. His girls were never referred to as waitresses. Rather, they were known via and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Demoiselle meant aplomb, aspect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the restrict restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not solely did they accord a usefulness to the travelers and the communities at the end of one’s tether with their restaurants and absolute composure, they became the orthodox of courteousness and dining. Many Harvey girls did descry marriage and adventure. Diverse had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would take been impossible back East. Some paid for college and went on to fit professionals in other careers. No stuff what paths they start themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Dating.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its tiptop, the Harvey Domicile restaurants were the most wealthy in the outback, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing contrivance and stand for to appropriate for the largest passenger succession band in the Combined States. During both Cosmos Wars, the Harvey Ill fame was conducive in providing meals to the troops being moved across the rural area on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Weighty Gloom led to the demise of the empire. Fair dining and amiability in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.