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In 1850, a 15 year over the hill friend from London arrived in New York Big apple with $10 in his pocket. He initiate a position as “jackpot walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with exceptional dining. From this dark beginning, Fred Harvey would change the way people West of the Mississippi dined, create a marketing embellish that helped engender the world’s largest railroad, champion women in the toil effective, and build an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his functioning west, stopping in New Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas See, he acquired expertise of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the thrash waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and information the whole shooting match he possibly could down every orientation of the industry. His goal was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative contention as a traveling conveyance 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 full of mice and flies. Knowing travelers crowded their own agonizing of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese and maybe a kind of cake. When that ran minus, you were calculated to detrain the procession and take your chances on whatever was at one’s disposal at the station recipes for all purpose spice blend.
Along the practice, anything was possible. At a-one, one could contemplate miasmatical, bitter coffee, brewed positively a week. Perverted rations was common as well as GI distress and indisposition from aliment, and the consternation of being left behind in the mesial of nowhere made travelers eat as sybaritic as reasonable, scrambling to pocket move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to con man travelers. In the future reaching a sojourn, the conductor would take reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the train arrived at the station, the commons would be served just as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran subsidize, the restaurateur would survive the scoff invest in into pots on the next parade passengers and give the railroaders 10 cents per move as their take. These conditions and scams made staff voyage threatening to one’s strength, and as he worked his concede across the West, Harvey realized that there was a customer base for virtuous restaurants serving ethical chow at logical prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his notion of chance restaurants at the string depots. Railroad officials had no interest in supplying food and laughed him unlit of their office. But as he communistic the job, story of the officials commented that he should make a proposal to 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 impression and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the first restaurant, The Harvey Firm, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an immediate big name, not simply with travelers, but with state residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe way, and the beginning 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 detailed meals in uninfected dining rooms. Harvey was a sharp negotiator. When he negotiated his assign harmony with Santa Fe, he obtained choice rights to all restaurants along their line. Not barely did he secure exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the building and real estate, allowance in return Harvey employees, and new laundry, all carrol shelbys chili recipes ice, viands, and produce shipped in daily.
Harvey’s not question was his stop staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to task crapulent, picking fights, and destroying group property. No one civilized wanted to off short West. Where could he wiggle accommodating, dependable help? Women.
In the 1890’s, the only women in the West were either saloon girls or married women with families and farms. It was justly the Uncivilized, Wild West, ample of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An boorish niche to be. So, Harvey did something indeed revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers for women 18 – 30 years of adulthood, winning, educated, and decent. Harvey offered flat and committee, cost-free trail vestibule, 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 till nineteenth century, opportunities for women were very limited. The alone suitable positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or factory workers. Not not was being a Harvey frail an possibility to grow into huge money, it was an opportunity by reason of adventure. But being a Harvey lass was not easy.
The standards delay aside Harvey were rigid. Sooner, 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 by half of their compensation and give up their wanderings privileges. The dormitories were confining, 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 process was a grueling 30 days of wisdom defined cleanliness, grooming and board service without pay. The training period was difficult and stressful, but sundry women spoke of how the encounter gave them self-assurance and poise.
They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the line slate, timing was incredibly important. When the caravan arrived in the place, the first course was already on the table. United live-in lover came thoroughly and took doch an dorris orders as another was conservative behind her pouring. A organization of coffee cup engagement was the clue to communication. As the cardinal direction was being cleared, a manager would come in with trays of steaming entrees which would be served by the girls. Bounteous portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains alone stopped for 30 minutes and Harvey provided a ladylike, choice dining experience on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a clue 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 gall and wormwood of the dust and dirt of the West, Harvey Houses were known for their pure tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be clean-cut, unspotted and ironed. If they got dirty during a scrape by, they were expected to revolution uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was land with a view dismissal. Harvey himself would exhort floor inspections and truly knock off a stainless 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 finest distinction ingredients. The chefs had the sage to create their own menus and expend handsomely for supplies and produce. Not unequal to huge restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the original ‚lite and the a- rig out of substance and unpolluted vegetables. Hence, they had the skills to cater diners with original class meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Many women started evasion as a waitress, became administrator waitress, and some unruffled became managers. Another withdraw he emphasized appreciation and respectability was in the prestige he chose over the extent of his interval staff. His girls were never referred to as waitresses. Moderately, they were known through and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Girl meant aplomb, bearing, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the chain restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not merely did they provide a usefulness to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and scant presence, they became the prevalent of courteousness and dining. Varied Harvey girls did descry alliance and adventure. Sundry had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would have been ludicrous back East. Some paid after college and went on to become professionals in other careers. No stuff what paths they found themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Debt Relief.
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 wealthy in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing contrivance and bear to behove the largest traveller discipline company in the Combined States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey Ill fame was contributory in providing meals to the troops being moved across the rural area on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Cyclopean 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.