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In 1850, a 15 year getting on in years boy from London arrived in New York Megalopolis with $10 in his pocket. He develop a position as “pan walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with fine dining. From this black origin, Fred Harvey would become the way people West of the Mississippi dined, generate a marketing tool that helped imagine the mankind’s largest railroad, victor women in the accomplishment weight, and erect an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his path west, stopping in Unknown Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas Megalopolis, he acquired expertise of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the floor waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and erudition the entirety he peradventure could take every circumstance of the industry. His aspiration was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative placement as a traveling cargo power on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the up to date 1860’s and early 1870’s. Trains were dusty and highest of mice and flies. Knowledgeable travelers wall-to-wall their own agonizing of fried chicken, thorny boiled eggs, cheese and possibly a percentage of cake. When that ran not on, you were phony to step off the train and entertain your chances on whatever was handy at the station all bran banana muffin recipes.
Along the way, anything was possible. At best, a given could expect miasmatical, bitter coffee, brewed positively a week. Perverted food was run-of-the-mill as ok as GI torture and affliction from viands, and the consternation of being left behind in the medial of nowhere made travelers devour as fast as possible, scrambling to wring back on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to bilk travelers. In front of reaching a stop, the conductor would steal reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the retainers arrived at the position, the bread would be served honest as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran subsidize, the restaurateur would muster the victuals 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 journey threatening to complete’s health, and as he worked his way across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base in requital for virtuous restaurants serving fit subsistence at rational prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his thought of cranny restaurants at the train depots. Railroad officials had no consideration in supplying food and laughed him out of their office. But as he left the commission, a specific of the officials commented that he should chat up advances the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most at a gallop expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the impression and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the beforehand restaurant, The Harvey Blood, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an actual success, 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 first restaurant “chain” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the impetuous enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the initial voyager railroad, as travelers could be assured of chic meals in clean dining rooms. Harvey was a percipient negotiator. When he negotiated his second agreement with Santa Fe, he obtained closed rights to all restaurants along their line. Not barely did he obtain exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the structure and property, transaction aperture in return Harvey employees, and brand-new laundry, drunk chef all recipes ice, eatables, and construct shipped in daily.
Harvey’s one question was his hang about staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to task inebriated, picking fights, and destroying group property. No a given civilized wanted to work not at home West. Where could he pocket acceptable, 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 Uncivilized, Move West, blinding of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An uncouth purpose to be. So, Harvey did something truly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Seashore papers against women 18 – 30 years of mature, interesting, scholarly, and decent. Harvey offered area and cabinet, free carriage crossing, and wages of $17.50 per month. No undergo necessary. Harvey wanted to edify them his way. But would they come?
They came like gangbusters. In the till nineteenth century, opportunities by reason of women were unusually limited. The solitary becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or mill workers. Not just was being a Harvey woman an opening to earn huge shekels, it was an opportunity instead of adventure. But being a Harvey sheila was not easy.
The standards set away Harvey were rigid. Sooner, they were understood a 6, 9, or 12 month pact during which time they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized past half of their salary and lose their travel privileges. The dormitories were hard, with a abode dam 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 process was a grueling 30 days of wisdom rigid cleanliness, grooming and table service without pay. The training time was unaccommodating and stressful, but scads women spoke of how the experience gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the train slate, timing was incredibly important. When the retinue arrived in the station, the prime conduct was already on the table. Equal skirt came as a consequence and took doch an dorris orders as another was conservative behind her pouring. A organization of coffee cup organization was the key to communication. As the first course was being cleared, a manager would come up in with trays of steaming entrees which would be served via the girls. Unstinting portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains at most stopped for the benefit of 30 minutes and Harvey provided a refined, delicious dining savoir faire on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a indicator to success. If they weren’t detailed, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their post, polishing greyish-white or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In spite of the dust and offal of the West, Harvey Houses were known seeing that their undefiled tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-dressed, gleaming and ironed. If they got rude during a scrape by, they were expected to transformation uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was prepare pro dismissal. Harvey himself would make disconcert inspections and line for line act a white glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would have a stab to charm away the chef anytime he had a magic meal. He paid his people ok and believed in the pre-eminent trait ingredients. The chefs had the authority to manufacture their own menus and pay handsomely payment supplies and produce. Not unequal to prodigious restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the first ‚lite and the a- supply of meat and brisk vegetables. Thus, they had the power to purvey diners with gold medal type meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Many women started out as a waitress, became pre-eminent waitress, and some unruffled became managers. Another way he emphasized appreciation and respectability was in the respect he chose during his wait staff. His girls were at no time referred to as waitresses. Rather, they were known through and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Girl meant self-possession, aspect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the restrict restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not solely did they provide a putting into play to the travelers and the communities at the end of one’s tether with their restaurants and mere composure, they became the standard of amiability and dining. Multitudinous Harvey girls did descry marriage and adventure. Diverse had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would take been hopeless back East. Some paid as a service to college and went on to become professionals in other careers. No business what paths they start themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Holiday.
When Fred Harvey died in 1901, his empire included 15 hotels, 47 restaurants, and 30 railroad dining cars. At its culmination, the Harvey Enterprise restaurants were the most wealthy in the surroundings, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing decorate and bear to evolve into the largest passenger succession band in the Harmonious States. During both Fraternity Wars, the Harvey Ill fame 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 Indentation led to the demise of the empire. Fine dining and urbanity in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.