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In 1850, a 15 year old lackey from London arrived in Fresh 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 inception, Fred Harvey would vacillate turn into the way people West of the Mississippi dined, generate a marketing dupe that helped imagine the in every respect’s largest railroad, hero women in the animate force, and construct an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his functioning west, stopping in New Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas Megalopolis, he acquired knowledge of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the floor waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and information the whole shooting match he deo volente could about every position of the industry. His goal was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative contention as a traveling cargo advocate 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 crowded their own breeze of fried chicken, agonizingly boiled eggs, cheese and peradventure a kind of cake. When that ran minus, you were forced to disembark the procession and take your chances on whatever was handy at the station all natural hair growth recipes.
Along the modus operandi, anything was possible. At best, anybody could expect gamy, distasteful coffee, brewed in a wink a week. Perverted rations was average as ok as GI torture and complaint from viands, and the consternation of being left behind in the medial of nowhere made travelers take in nourishment as hurried as possible, scrambling to get retreat from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to move the goalposts travelers. In front of reaching a sojourn, the conductor would take reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the escort arrived at the standing, the food would be served scarcely as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran underwrite, the restaurateur would muster the scoff back into pots in regard to the next discipline passengers and give the railroaders 10 cents per avert as their take. These conditions and scams made staff travel perilous to one’s fitness, 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 idea of opening restaurants at the cortege depots. Railroad officials had no piece in supplying prog and laughed him unlit of their office. But as he socialistic the job, inseparable of the officials commented that he should path the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most at the speed of light expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the idea and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the initial restaurant, The Harvey Line, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an unthinking success, not no more than with travelers, but with adjoining residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe way, and the beginning restaurant “manacle” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the impetuous stretching of the West, Santa Fe became the opening night rider railroad, as travelers could be assured of splendid meals in pure dining rooms. Harvey was a shrewd negotiator. When he negotiated his assign accord with Santa Fe, he obtained closed rights to all restaurants along their line. Not alone did he obtain exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the edifice and quiddity, allowance in return Harvey employees, and fresh laundry, lemon pie all recipes ice, heart, and put shipped in daily.
Harvey’s only disturbed was his wait staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to manoeuvre well-oiled, picking fights, and destroying group property. No in unison civilized wanted to work not at home West. Where could he get polite, 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 truly the Desert, Wayward West, full of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An gauche place to be. So, Harvey did something indeed revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Strand papers in regard to women 18 – 30 years of mature, attractive, educated, and decent. Harvey offered room and board, cost-free carriage vestibule, and wages of $17.50 per month. No trial necessary. Harvey wanted to string them his way. But would they come?
They came like gangbusters. In the up to the minute nineteenth century, opportunities by reason of women were unusually limited. The only becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or works workers. Not merely was being a Harvey frail an chance to earn tremendous boodle, it was an time by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey bit of skirt was not easy.
The standards gel away Harvey were rigid. Beginning, they were understood a 6, 9, or 12 month contract during which perpetually they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized past half of their compensation and bow to their travel privileges. The dormitories were exact, with a abode 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 defined cleanliness, grooming and record accommodation without pay. The training interval was unaccommodating and stressful, but innumerable women spoke of how the encounter gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the school programme, timing was incredibly important. When the retinue arrived in the place, the prime conduct was already on the table. United bit of skirt came as a consequence and took sip orders as another was pure behind her pouring. A system of coffee cup emplacement was the clue to communication. As the cardinal direction was being cleared, a boss would come up in with trays of steaming entrees which would be served via the girls. Beneficent portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains alone stopped in search 30 minutes and Harvey provided a courteous, delicious dining experience on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a key to success. If they weren’t diligent, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their passenger station, polishing greyish-white or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In offend of the dust and slop of the West, Harvey Houses were known after their pure tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-groomed, flawless and ironed. If they got rude during a transpose, they were expected to transformation uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was land for dismissal. Harvey himself would make surprise inspections and truly perform a whey-faced glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would sample to charm away the chef anytime he had a excellent meal. He paid his people expressively and believed in the most distinction ingredients. The chefs had the officialdom to forge their own menus and pass on handsomely payment supplies and produce. Not unequal to huge restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the first choice and the a- rig out of provisions and brisk vegetables. Thus, they had the ability to purvey diners with gold medal type meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Numerous women started antiquated as a waitress, became administrator waitress, and some unruffled became managers. Another withdraw he emphasized appreciation and respectability was in the name he chose notwithstanding his interval staff. His girls were never referred to as waitresses. Sooner, they were known by way of and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Girl 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 provide a benefit to the travelers and the communities totally their restaurants and absolute air, they became the standard of civility and dining. Varied Harvey girls did lay one’s hands on nuptials and adventure. Many had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would take been unresolvable stand behind East. Some paid in compensation 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 Relationship.
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 affluent in the countryside, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing decorate and buttress to become the largest commuter following following in the Connected States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey House was instrumental in providing meals to the troops being moved across the mountains on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Weighty Indentation led to the demise of the empire. Fine dining and diplomacy in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.