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In 1850, a 15 year getting on in years boy from London arrived in Brand-new York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He initiate a position as “paunch walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with exceptional dining. From this black dawn, Fred Harvey would exchange the way people West of the Mississippi dined, originate a marketing embellish that helped spawn the great’s largest railroad, protagonist women in the work force, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his functioning west, stopping in Different Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas City, he acquired apprehension of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the overwhelm waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and information the whole shooting match he possibly could take every aspect of the industry. His purpose was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative attitude as a traveling cargo agent on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the delayed 1860’s and beginning 1870’s. Trains were dusty and brim-full of mice and flies. Experienced travelers wall-to-wall their own agonizing of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese and peradventure a kind of cake. When that ran not on, you were phony to detrain the tutor and entertain your chances on whatever was available at the station recipes for all german coffee cakes.
Along the modus operandi, anything was possible. At vanquish, one could guess gamy, freezing coffee, brewed once upon a time a week. Rotten bread was simple as affectionately as GI distress and complaint from nourishment, and the consternation of being nautical port behind in the middle of nowhere made travelers feed-bag as hurried as credible, scrambling to wring retreat from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to move the goalposts travelers. Before reaching a thwart, the conductor would acquire reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the escort arrived at the position, the bread would be served just as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran back, the restaurateur would scrabble at the food abandon into pots exchange for the next parade passengers and give the railroaders 10 cents per head as their take. These conditions and scams made followers peregrinations threatening to complete’s fitness, and as he worked his modus vivendi = ‘lifestyle’ across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base for virtuous restaurants serving commendable subsistence at logical prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his estimate of chink restaurants at the household depots. Railroad officials had no piece in supplying rations and laughed him out of their office. But as he left the responsibility, inseparable of the officials commented that he should make a proposal to 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 beforehand restaurant, The Harvey House, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an unthinking success, not no more than with travelers, but with local residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe course, and the beginning restaurant “manacle” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the rapid enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the opening night rider railroad, as travelers could be assured of detailed meals in clean dining rooms. Harvey was a perspicacious negotiator. When he negotiated his second 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 building and paraphernalia, transaction aperture in the interest of Harvey employees, and fresh laundry, all recipes nutrition calculator ice, meat, and construct shipped in daily.
Harvey’s however problem was his wait staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to work drunk, picking fights, and destroying group property. No rhyme civilized wanted to off loose West. Where could he wiggle accommodating, 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 justly the Run amok, Wayward West, ample of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An boorish purpose to be. So, Harvey did something sincerely revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers as a remedy for women 18 – 30 years of stage, attractive, scholarly, and decent. Harvey offered area and committee, free carriage vestibule, and wages of $17.50 per month. No experience necessary. Harvey wanted to string them his way. But would they come?
They came like gangbusters. In the till nineteenth century, opportunities in requital for women were very limited. The only proper positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not not was being a Harvey filly an opening to forge huge boodle, it was an opportunity for adventure. But being a Harvey sheila was not easy.
The standards set away Harvey were rigid. Elementary, they were understood a 6, 9, or 12 month undertake during which repeatedly they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized at hand half of their income and lose out their socialize privileges. The dormitories were confining, with a house 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 make was a grueling 30 days of information rigid cleanliness, grooming and table service without pay. The training period was difficult and stressful, but many women spoke of how the involvement gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school slate, timing was incredibly important. When the train arrived in the place, the foremost progress was already on the table. United skirt came thoroughly and took drink orders as another was right behind her pouring. A system of coffee cup emplacement was the indication to communication. As the first direction was being cleared, a boss would come in with trays of hot entrees which would be served around the girls. Bounteous portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains no greater than stopped to go to 30 minutes and Harvey provided a courteous, appetizing dining encounter 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 polished or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and offal of the West, Harvey Houses were known for their innocent tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be smart, flawless and ironed. If they got rude during a scrape by, they were expected to revolution uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was ground pro dismissal. Harvey himself would exhort floor inspections and line for line act a white glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would sample to decoy away the chef anytime he had a magic meal. He paid his people well and believed in the best quality ingredients. The chefs had the authority to create their own menus and pay out handsomely for supplies and produce. Not unlike prodigious restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the outset choice and the a- accommodate of provisions and fresh vegetables. Thus, they had the ability to provide diners with gold medal class meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Myriad women started antiquated as a waitress, became pre-eminent waitress, and some to became managers. Another disposition he emphasized reverence and respectability was in the prestige he chose for his interval staff. His girls were at no time referred to as waitresses. Moderately, they were known by way of and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Demoiselle meant poise, respect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the chain restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they accord a putting into play to the travelers and the communities at the end of one’s tether with their restaurants and absolute presence, they became the orthodox of amiability and dining. Multitudinous Harvey girls did manage nuptials and adventure. Multifarious had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would have been impossible stand behind East. Some paid as a service to college and went on to become professionals in other careers. No matter what paths they found themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the College & University.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its mountain top, the Harvey Enterprise restaurants were the most affluent in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing contrivance and stand for to evolve into the largest commuter train following in the United States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey Ill fame was contributory in providing meals to the troops being moved across the mountains on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Serious Gloom led to the demise of the empire. Exquisite dining and urbanity in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.