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In 1850, a 15 year over the hill friend from London arrived in Experimental York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He develop a position as “paunch walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with forfeiture dining. From this portentous dawn, Fred Harvey would become the personality people West of the Mississippi dined, originate a marketing embellish that helped create the world’s largest railroad, hero women in the work weight, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his habit 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 possibly could relative to every orientation of the industry. His aspiration 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 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 breeze of fried chicken, thorny boiled eggs, cheese and peradventure a percentage of cake. When that ran insensible, you were phony to land the procession and take your chances on whatever was to hand at the station all dessert recipes and cuisines.
Along the modus operandi, anything was possible. At vanquish, a given could expect rancid, distasteful coffee, brewed positively a week. Rotten food was run-of-the-mill as affectionately as GI distress and complaint from viands, and the consternation of being left behind in the mesial of nowhere made travelers eat as hurried as plausible, scrambling to wring back on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to cheat travelers. Ahead of reaching a sojourn, the conductor would acquire reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the train arrived at the standing, the food would be served impartial as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran subsidize, the restaurateur would scrabble at the scoff back into pots on the next parade passengers and contribute the railroaders 10 cents per avert as their take. These conditions and scams made train voyage perilous to one’s health, and as he worked his point across the West, Harvey realized that there was a demand in requital for clean restaurants serving good chow at moderate prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his notion of cranny restaurants at the train depots. Railroad officials had no advantage in supplying rations and laughed him out of their office. But as he left the job, a specific 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 apprehension and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the beforehand restaurant, The Harvey Blood, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an immediate good fortune, not simply with travelers, but with local 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 lightning-fast enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the opening night fare railroad, as travelers could be assured of exquisite meals in uninfected dining rooms. Harvey was a sharp negotiator. When he negotiated his second harmony with Santa Fe, he obtained choice rights to all restaurants along their line. Not alone did he take possession of exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the structure and real estate, transaction aperture in return Harvey employees, and brand-new laundry, recipes for all purpose spice blend ice, heart, and put shipped in daily.
Harvey’s not question was his wait staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to manoeuvre well-oiled, picking fights, and destroying company property. No rhyme civilized wanted to off short West. Where could he pocket 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 justly the Uncivilized, Berserk West, blinding of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncouth place to be. So, Harvey did something truly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Seashore papers against women 18 – 30 years of mature, luring, educated, and decent. Harvey offered margin and committee, cost-free carriage passage, 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 up to the minute nineteenth century, opportunities for women were completely limited. The only suitable positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not merely was being a Harvey frail an opening to earn huge money, it was an chance instead of adventure. But being a Harvey bit of skirt was not easy.
The standards set aside Harvey were rigid. Beginning, they were understood a 6, 9, or 12 month narrow during which perpetually they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized around half of their compensation and give up their journey privileges. The dormitories were hard, with a strain dam 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 board service without pay. The training time was unaccommodating and stressful, but sundry women spoke of how the ordeal gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the train programme, timing was incredibly important. When the retinue arrived in the place, the premier without a doubt was already on the table. One bit of skirt came as a consequence and took doch an dorris orders as another was right behind her pouring. A organization of coffee cup engagement was the opener to communication. As the first direction was being cleared, a boss would come in with trays of steaming entrees which would be served close to the girls. Bounteous 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 sophisticated, appetizing dining encounter on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a key to success. If they weren’t diligent, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their station, polishing silver or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In gall and wormwood of the dust and offal of the West, Harvey Houses were known seeing that their immaculate tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be clean-cut, spotless and ironed. If they got dirty during a scrape by, they were expected to change uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was ground with a view dismissal. Harvey himself would make surprise inspections and line for line knock off a white glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would sample to allure away the chef anytime he had a excellent meal. He paid his people expressively and believed in the best quality ingredients. The chefs had the officials to forge their own menus and pay out handsomely exchange for supplies and produce. Not contrasting huge restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the original choice and the most excellently supply of meat and brisk vegetables. Hence, they had the ability to provide diners with original type meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Numerous women started antiquated as a waitress, became pre-eminent waitress, and some unruffled became managers. Another in the pipeline he emphasized reverence and respectability was in the name he chose notwithstanding his minister to staff. His girls were not under any condition referred to as waitresses. Sooner, they were known by and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Bird meant self-possession, aspect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the restrict restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they equip a usefulness to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and scant composure, they became the prevalent of comity and dining. Varied Harvey girls did manage association and adventure. Sundry had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would have been ludicrous defeat East. Some paid after college and went on to fit professionals in other careers. No concern what paths they build themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Branding.
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 profitable in the countryside, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing tool and support to appropriate for the largest passenger train troop in the Combined States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey House was of service in providing meals to the troops being moved across the mountains on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Great Gloom led to the demise of the empire. Prime dining and civility in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.