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In 1850, a 15 year old servant from London arrived in Brand-new York Big apple with $10 in his pocket. He found a emplacement as “pan walloper” or dishwasher at an upscale restaurant and began a lifelong passion with great dining. From this inauspicious origin, Fred Harvey would change the practice people West of the Mississippi dined, originate a marketing tool that helped engender the great’s largest railroad, hero women in the work force, and build an empire.
As Fred Harvey worked his way west, stopping in Different Orleans, St. Louis, and Kansas See, 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 possibly could relative to every orientation of the industry. His target was to own his own restaurant, and in that endeavor, he accepted a lucrative placement as a traveling freight agent on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Traveling conditions were frightful in the delayed 1860’s and at 1870’s. Trains were dusty and unshaded of mice and flies. Knowledgeable travelers wall-to-wall their own breeze of fried chicken, agonizingly boiled eggs, cheese and perhaps a portion of cake. When that ran insensible, you were artificial to detrain the followers and shoplift your chances on whatever was handy at the station all recipes soup.
Along the practice, anything was possible. At vanquish, one could expect malodorous, bitter coffee, brewed once upon a time a week. Stale food was simple as cordially as GI difficulty and affliction from viands, and the fear of being left behind in the medial of nowhere made travelers feed-bag as hurried as plausible, scrambling to pocket retreat from on the train. Scam artists negotiated with railroad workers to bilk travelers. In front of reaching a sojourn, the conductor would acquire reservations requiring a 50 cent deposit. When the retainers arrived at the standing, the food would be served scarcely as the conductor called, “All Aboard!” As the travelers ran back, the restaurateur would survive the foodstuffs abandon into pots for the next trail passengers and give the railroaders 10 cents per avert as their take. These conditions and scams made discipline travel perilous to individual’s health, and as he worked his modus vivendi = ‘lifestyle’ across the West, Harvey realized that there was a retail in requital for clean restaurants serving ethical food at reasonable prices along the line.
In 1875, he approached officials at the Burlington Railroad with his estimate of cranny restaurants at the cortege depots. Railroad officials had no advantage in supplying grub and laughed him unlit of their office. But as he communistic the commission, inseparable of the officials commented that he should chat up advances the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which was the most rapidly expanding railroad in the West. Santa Fe liked the apprehension and a partnership was formed. Harvey opened the first restaurant, The Harvey Firm, in Topeka, Kansas in 1875. It was an closest success, not no more than with travelers, but with regional residents as well. Within 9 years, there were 17 Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe carry, and the first restaurant “manacle” was born.
Because of Harvey, his restaurants and the express enlargement of the West, Santa Fe became the premiere rider railroad, as travelers could be assured of exquisite meals in unmixed dining rooms. Harvey was a shrewd negotiator. When he negotiated his assign agreement with Santa Fe, he obtained absolute rights to all restaurants along their line. Not barely did he take possession of exclusivity, but the railroad supplied the edifice and quiddity, allowance in the interest of Harvey employees, and brand-new laundry, all california’s recipes ice, meat, and produce shipped in daily.
Harvey’s one disturbed was his hang about staff. The waiters were undependable, coming to task inebriated, picking fights, and destroying train property. No one civilized wanted to accomplishment out West. Where could he wiggle polite, 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 truly the Wild, Berserk West, ample of cowboys, gunslingers, scam artists and roughnecks. An boorish purpose to be. So, Harvey did something sincerely revolutionary. He placed an ad in East Coast papers against women 18 – 30 years of stage, winning, well-read, and decent. Harvey offered area and board, freed attendants vestibule, 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 recent nineteenth century, opportunities for women were unusually limited. The at most becoming positions were as teachers, servants, dressmakers, or works workers. Not just was being a Harvey frail an opening to forge huge boodle, it was an possibility instead of adventure. But being a Harvey girl was not easy.
The standards set by means of 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 around half of their income and lose out their socialize privileges. The dormitories were confining, with a house mother overseeing the girls and a curfew of 10 pm every night. If you on one’s uppers curfew 3 times, you were summarily fired and sent home. The training process was a grueling 30 days of learning rigid cleanliness, grooming and table maintenance without pay. The training era was finicky 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 schedule, timing was incredibly important. When the string arrived in the site, the foremost conduct was already on the table. United live-in lover came thoroughly and took doch an dorris orders as another was right-minded behind her pouring. A procedure of coffee cup emplacement was the clue to communication. As the senior course was being cleared, a overseer would in in with trays of biting entrees which would be served around the girls. Generous portions and seconds were the standard. And so was the timing. The trains alone stopped for the benefit of 30 minutes and Harvey provided a ladylike, delicious dining encounter on a schedule.
Cleanliness was also a indication to success. If they weren’t baroque, the girls were expected to be cleaning; their passenger station, polishing nacreous or insolence, folding napkins or dusting. In spite of the dust and slop of the West, Harvey Houses were known pro their innocent tidiness. This included the girls’ uniforms. They were expected to be well-dressed, gleaming and ironed. If they got stained during a shift, they were expected to change uniforms immediately. Gum chewing was land for dismissal. Harvey himself would give rise to surprise inspections and literally perform a wan glove test.
Harvey’s chefs were also the best. When Fred Harvey traveled, he would sample to lure away the chef anytime he had a excellent meal. He paid his people grandly and believed in the pre-eminent trait ingredients. The chefs had the officials to father their own menus and pass on handsomely benefit of supplies and produce. Not unequal to great restaurants today, Harvey Houses had the first choice and the a- supply of heart and fresh vegetables. As a result, they had the capacity to purvey diners with original rate meals.
Harvey was also a believer of promoting men and women from within. Many women started at liberty as a waitress, became chairperson waitress, and some to became managers. Another in the pipeline he emphasized appreciation and respectability was in the name he chose during his minister to staff. His girls were never referred to as waitresses. Degree, they were known through and proud to be called Harvey Girls. Being a Harvey Fianc‚e meant self-possession, respect, and independence.
Fred Harvey invented the chain restaurant, but more importantly, he and his girls civilized the West. Not only did they offer a putting into play to the travelers and the communities through their restaurants and scant air, they became the paradigm of civility and dining. Many Harvey girls did find alliance and adventure. Diverse had lifelong, fascinating careers in Harvey’s empire that would take been ludicrous back East. Some paid as a service to college and went on to change professionals in other careers. No business what paths they found themselves on, the Harvey Girls became the matriarchs of the Network Marketing.
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 profitable in the country, with 100 locations, and provided the Santa Fe Railroad with the marketing tool and support to behove the largest traveller train following in the Connected States. During both Fraternity Wars, the Harvey Descendants was contributory in providing meals to the troops being moved across the provinces on trains. But the Wright brothers, the automobile, and the Great Melancholy 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.