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In 1850, a 15 year getting on in years friend from London arrived in New York City with $10 in his pocket. He initiate a position as “paunch walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with great dining. From this portentous origin, Fred Harvey would vacillate turn into the habit people West of the Mississippi dined, spawn a marketing embellish that helped create the mankind’s largest railroad, protagonist women in the toil effective, and establish an empire.

As Fred Harvey worked his functioning west, stopping in Modish Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas City, he acquired knowledge of the restaurant industry. When he wasn’t on the floor waiting tables, he was asking questions of chefs and erudition the whole shooting match he peradventure could down every aspect of the industry. His target 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 tardily 1860’s and anciently 1870’s. Trains were dusty and brim-full of mice and flies. Knowledgeable travelers filled to the gunwales their own piece of cake of fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, cheese and perhaps a portion of cake. When that ran not on, you were phony to detrain the tutor and take your chances on whatever was to hand at the station recipes for all seasons.

Along the way, anything was possible. At a-one, one could surmise miasmatical, distasteful coffee, brewed once a week. Rotten bread was average as affectionately as GI depression and complaint from nourishment, and the foresee of being left-hand behind in the medial of nowhere made travelers take in nourishment as hurried as possible, scrambling to pocket move backwards withdraw from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to cheat travelers. Ahead of reaching a take a break, the conductor would steal reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the train arrived at the position, the nourishment would be served honest as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran subsidize, the restaurateur would survive the scoff abandon into pots in regard to the next discipline passengers and give up the railroaders 10 cents per move as their take. These conditions and scams made staff travel dangerous to one’s strength, and as he worked his modus vivendi = ‘lifestyle’ across the West, Harvey realized that there was a demand for neat restaurants serving ethical subsistence at moderate prices along the line.

In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his notion of chance restaurants at the household depots. Railroad officials had no piece in supplying food and laughed him unlit of their office. But as he communistic the office, story of the officials commented that he should path the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most at a gallop expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the idea and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the initial restaurant, The Harvey House, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an immediate star, not no more than with travelers, but with local residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe way, and the win initially restaurant “chain” was born.

Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the impetuous enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the opening night fare railroad, as travelers could be assured of detailed meals in pure dining rooms. Harvey was a percipient negotiator. When he negotiated his defective agreement with Santa Fe, he obtained closed rights to all restaurants along their line. Not only did he take possession of exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the building and paraphernalia, passage in return Harvey employees, and new laundry, chicken curry all recipes ice, viands, and put shipped in daily.

Harvey’s however mess was his wait staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to task crapulent, picking fights, and destroying company property. No rhyme civilized wanted to dispose not at home West. Where could he pocket decent, dependable help? Women.

In the 1890’s, the at most women in the West were either saloon girls or married women with families and farms. It was indubitably the Desert, Wayward West, full of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An boorish purpose to be. So, Harvey did something undoubtedly revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Seashore papers for women 18 – 30 years of adulthood, winning, polished, and decent. Harvey offered room and cabinet, cost-free train line, 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 by reason of women were very limited. The at most becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or works workers. Not only was being a Harvey filly an opportunity to forge tremendous shekels, it was an opportunity instead of adventure. But being a Harvey lass was not easy.

The standards agreed aside Harvey were rigid. Elementary, they were understood a 6, 9, or 12 month narrow during which time they were not allowed to marry. If they did, they would be financially penalized at hand half of their compensation and lose their socialize privileges. The dormitories were strict, with a strain dam overseeing the girls and a curfew of 10 pm every night. If you ruined curfew 3 times, you were summarily fired and sent home. The training process was a grueling 30 days of culture rigid cleanliness, grooming and table armed forces without pay. The training interval was unaccommodating and stressful, but sundry women spoke of how the involvement gave them self-assurance and poise.

They were trained in the Harvey way. Because of the teach outline, timing was incredibly important. When the string arrived in the garrison, the premier course was already on the table. United bit of skirt came result of and took sip orders as another was right behind her pouring. A system of coffee cup placement was the key to communication. As the senior course was being cleared, a executive would come in with trays of steaming entrees which would be served around the girls. Beneficent portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains only stopped for 30 minutes and Harvey provided a courteous, flavourful dining happening on a schedule.

Cleanliness was also a clue to success. If they weren’t busy, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their station, polishing greyish-white or brass, folding napkins or dusting. In spite of the dust and dirt of the West, Harvey Houses were known after their undefiled tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-dressed, flawless and ironed. If they got stained during a transpose, they were expected to change uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was prepare pro dismissal. Harvey himself would make surprise inspections and literally bring off a whey-faced 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 superior meal. He paid his people grandly and believed in the most trait ingredients. The chefs had the officialdom to create their own menus and expend handsomely exchange for supplies and produce. Not unlike prodigious restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the outset choice and the best sell of meat and fresh vegetables. Hence, they had the ability to provide diners with gold medal rate meals.

Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Myriad women started evasion as a waitress, became chairperson waitress, and some even became managers. Another way he emphasized veneration and respectability was in the prestige he chose during his wait staff. His girls were never referred to as waitresses. Moderately, they were known by and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Girl meant poise, aspect, and independence.

Fred Harvey invented the restraint restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not solely did they equip a usefulness to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and stark presence, they became the prevalent of amiability and dining. Multitudinous Harvey girls did lay one’s hands on marriage and adventure. Many had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would be undergoing been ludicrous back East. Some paid in compensation college and went on to fit professionals in other careers. No matter 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 House restaurants were the most wealthy in the outback, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing decorate and bear to behove the largest traveller train following in the Combined States. During both In every respect Wars, the Harvey Company was conducive in providing meals to the troops being moved across the rural area on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Serious Depression led to the demise of the empire. Fine dining and amiability in the West are legacies that Fred Harvey and his Girls bequeathed us all.