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The origin of the Fred Harvey Company can be traced to the 1875 opening of two railroad eating houses located at Wallace, Kansas and Hugo, Colorado on the Kansas Pacific Railway. Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Wallace is a city in Wallace County, Kansas, United States. The population was 67 at the 2000 census. The Town of Hugo is a Statutory Town that is the County seat of Lincoln County, Colorado, United States. The Kansas Pacific Railway ( KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century These cafés were opened by Fred Harvey, then a freight agent for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. This article is about Fred Harvey the person For the company he founded see Fred Harvey Company. The Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. The café operation ended within a year, but Fred Harvey had been convinced of the potential profits from providing a high quality food and service at railroad eating houses. His longtime employer, the Burlington Railroad, declined his offer of establishing a system-wide eating house operation at all railroad meal stops, but the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway subsequently contracted with Harvey for several eating houses on an experimental basis. The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. This led to the creation of the first restaurant chain ever. Chain stores are Retail outlets that share a Brand and central management and usually have standardized business methods and practices

The Casa del Desierto ("House of the Desert") located in Barstow, California is seen here in 2006. The Spanish-Moroccan designed structure took two years to construct, and opened its doors on February 22, 1911. The building has been designated as a California Historical Landmark, #892.
The Casa del Desierto ("House of the Desert") located in Barstow, California is seen here in 2006. The Spanish-Moroccan designed structure took two years to construct, and opened its doors on February 22, 1911. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The building has been designated as a California Historical Landmark, #892. California Historical Landmarks (CHLs are buildings structures sites or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical

Contents

History

Before the inclusion of dining cars in passenger trains became common practice, a rail passenger's only option for meal service in transit was to patronize one of the roadhouses often located near the railroad's water stops. A dining car (American English or restaurant car (British English also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another A water stop or water station on a railroad is a place where Trains stop to replenish Water. Fare typically consisted of nothing more than rancid meat, cold beans, and week-old coffee. Such poor conditions understandably discouraged many Americans from making the journey westward.

A preserved "Harvey Girl" uniform.
A preserved "Harvey Girl" uniform. A uniform is a set of standard Clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity

The subsequent growth and development of the Fred Harvey Company was closely related to that of the Santa Fe Railway. Under the terms of an oral agreement, Harvey opened his first depot restaurant in Topeka, Kansas in January of 1876. Topeka ( Kansa: Tó Ppí Kˀé ˌto ˈpːi ˌkˀeɪ Ioway: Dó Pí Kˀé ˌto ˈpʰi ˌkˀeɪ Railroad officials and passengers alike were impressed with Fred Harvey's strict standards for high quality food and first class service. As a result, the Santa Fe entered into subsequent contracts with Harvey wherein he was given a "blank check" to set up a series of "eating houses" along almost the entire route. At more prominent locations, these eating houses evolved into hotels, many of which survive today. By the late 1880s, there was a Fred Harvey dining facility located every 100 miles along the Santa Fe line.

The Santa Fe agreed to convey fresh meat and produce free-of-charge to any Harvey House via its own private line of refrigerator cars, the Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch, and in them food was shipped from every corner of the United States. A refrigerator car (or "reefer") is a refrigerated Boxcar, a piece of Railroad Rolling stock designed to carry perishable The Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch was a Railroad Refrigerator car line established as a subsidiary of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1884 The company maintained two dairy facilities (the largest of the two was situated in Las Vegas, New Mexico) to ensure a consistent and adequate supply of fresh milk. Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. When dining cars began to appear on trains, Santa Fe contracted with the Fred Harvey Company to operate the food service on the diners, and all Santa Fe advertising proclaimed "Fred Harvey Meals all the Way. "

Harvey's meals were served in sumptuous portions that provided a good value for the traveling public; for instance, pies were cut into fourths, rather than sixths, which was the industry standard at the time. The Harvey Company and the railroad established a series of signals that allowed the dining room staff to make the necessary preparations to feed an entire train in just thirty minutes. Harvey Houses served their meals on fine China and Irish linens. Fred Harvey, a fastidious innkeeper, set high standards for efficiency and cleanliness in his establishments, personally inspecting them as often as possible. It was said that nothing escaped his notice, and he was even known to completely overturn a poorly-set table. Male customers were even required to wear a coat and tie in many of Harvey's dining rooms. Fulfilling their patriotic duty, the Harvey Houses served many a meal to GIs traveling on troop trains during World War II. For other uses of GI see GI GI or GI is a term describing members of the U In United States Railroad terminology, a troop sleeper was a railroad passenger car which had been constructed to serve as something of a mobile barracks (essentially World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

This mutually-beneficial relationship, characterized as one of the most successful and influential business partnerships in the early American West, endured until 1968.

Facilities

The Santa Fe's San Pablo ferry plies the waters of San Francisco Bay in the early 20th century.
The Santa Fe's San Pablo ferry plies the waters of San Francisco Bay in the early 20th century. San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento

In the Southwest, Fred Harvey hired architect Mary Colter to design influential landmark hotels in Santa Fe, and Gallup, New Mexico, Winslow, Arizona, and at the South Rim and the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the 1910s and 1920s. Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter ( April 4 1869 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania &ndash January 8 1958) was an American architect Santa Fe ( Navajo: Yootó is the Capital of the state of New Mexico. Gallup (Naʼnízhoozhí is a city in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. Winslow ( Navajo: Béésh Sinil or Béésinil) is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon The rugged, landscape-integrated design principles of Colter's work influenced a generation of subsequent western American architecture through the U. S. National Park Service and Civilian Conservation Corps structures built in the Depression. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation Civilian Conservation Corps ( CCC) was a Work relief program for young men from unemployed families established on March 21, 1933, by U Together, Harvey and Colter created an entire set of cultural images.

It has been suggested that the Harvey Houses originated the "blue-plate special," a daily low-priced complete meal served on a blue-patterned china plate; an 1892 Harvey menu mentions them, some thirty years before the term became widespread. In addition to the Santa Fe, the Harvey Company operated dining facilities for the Gulf Coast and Santa Fe Railway, the Kansas Pacific Railway, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, and the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis. The Kansas Pacific Railway ( KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century The St Louis-San Francisco Railway, also known as the Frisco, is a defunct U

The Santa Fe maintained and operated a fleet of three passenger ferry boats that connected the railroad with San Francisco by water. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Ships traveled the eight miles between the San Francisco Ferry Terminal and the railroad's Point Richmond terminal across the Bay. Richmond (ˈɹɪtʃmənd is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The service was originally established as a continuation of the company's named passenger train runs such as the Angel and the Saint. The larger two ships, the San Pablo and the San Pedro, each featured a newsstand-lunch counter located on the main deck, and a dining room on the upper deck. Meals, sandwiches, sweet rolls, pastries, and coffee were served. Santa Fe discontinued ferry service in 1933 due to the effects of the Great Depression.

The "Harvey Girls"

In 1883, unhappy with the conduct of his rowdy male service staff (who often picked fights with the customers and arrived at work drunk—or not at all), Harvey implemented a policy of hiring only female waitresses. He sought out single, well-mannered, and educated ladies, and placed ads in newspapers throughout the east coast and midwest for "Young women, 18 to 30 years of age, of good character, attractive and intelligent. " The girls were paid USD $17. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 50 a month plus room, board, and tips to start, a generous income by the standards of the time.

The girls were subjected to a strict 10:00 p. m. curfew, administered by a senior Harvey Girl who assumed the role and responsibilities of house mother. The official starched black and white uniform (which was designed to diminish the female physique) consisted of a skirt that hung no more than eight inches off the floor, "Elsie" collars, opaque black stockings, and black shoes. The hair was restrained in a net and tied with a regulation white ribbon. Makeup of any sort was absolutely prohibited, as was chewing gum while on duty. "Harvey Girls" (as they soon came to be known) were required into a one-year employment contract, and forfeit half their base pay should they fail to complete the term of service. Marriage was the most common reason for a girl to terminate her employment.

In a mythology that has grown around the Harvey Houses, these female employees are said to have helped to "civilize the American Southwest. " This legend found its highest expression in The Harvey Girls, a 1942 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams, and, more notably, the 1946 MGM musical which was inspired by it. The Harvey Girls is a MGM Musical film based on a 1942 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams about Fred Harvey 's famous Harvey Samuel Hopkins Adams ( January 26, 1871 &ndash November 15, 1958) was an American writer best known for his investigative journalism The film starred Judy Garland, was directed by George Sidney, and introduced the Johnny Mercer song "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe. Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10 1922 – June 22 1969 was an American actress and singer George Sidney ( October 4, 1916 - May 5, 2002) was a Jewish American film director and film producer who worked primarily John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer ( November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American Songwriter and Singer " On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe " is a popular Song which refers to the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. "

Dining car service

Harvey initially balked at the suggestion that in-transit dining facilities be added to all Santa Fe trains operating west of Kansas City. Eventually, Harvey agreed to support the railroad in this endeavor, and the California Limited became the first of Santa Fe's name trains to feature Harvey Company meal service en route. The California Limited was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and a true " Workhorse Later trains, such as the vaunted Super Chief, included dining cars (staffed by Fred Harvey Company personnel) as part of the standard passenger car complement right from the outset. The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains and the Flagship of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Noteworthy Fred Harvey Hotels

El Garces Hotel and railroad depot in Needles, California around the turn of the 20th century. The facility, which opened in 1887, was named after Padre Francisco Garcés, a noted Franciscan Spanish priest who made several journeys through the region in 1771 and 1774 en route between southern Arizona and the California Missions.
El Garces Hotel and railroad depot in Needles, California around the turn of the 20th century. The facility, which opened in 1887, was named after Padre Francisco Garcés, a noted Franciscan Spanish priest who made several journeys through the region in 1771 and 1774 en route between southern Arizona and the California Missions. Francisco Hermenegildo Tomás Garcés ( April 12, 1738 &ndash July 18, 1781) was a Spanish Franciscan missionary who explored much of The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of Religious outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between

Of the eighty-four Fred Harvey facilities, some of the more notable include:

Harvey House sign in Beloit, WI just off of I-90. This sign sat for years in disrepair before being dismantled a few weeks after photo was taken in the summer of 2006.
Harvey House sign in Beloit, WI just off of I-90. Ash Fork is a Census-designated place (CDP in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. Williams is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon Railway, is a passenger Railroad and Heritage railway which operates between Williams Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon Santa Fe ( Navajo: Yootó is the Capital of the state of New Mexico. Vaughn is a town in Guadalupe County, New Mexico, United States. Winslow ( Navajo: Béésh Sinil or Béésinil) is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Syracuse is a city in Hamilton County, Kansas, United States. Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2007 census estimate Beloit has a population of 37710 people Interstate 90 (I-90 is the longest interstate highway in the United States at nearly 3100 miles (5000 kilometers This sign sat for years in disrepair before being dismantled a few weeks after photo was taken in the summer of 2006.

Separation from the Santa Fe Railway

Beginning in the 1930s, the Fred Harvey Company began expanding into other locations beyond the reach of the Santa Fe Railroad, and often away from rail passenger routes altogether. Restaurants were opened in such locations as the Chicago Union Station (the largest facility operated by Harvey), San Diego Union Station, the San Francisco Bus Terminal, and the Albuquerque International Airport; the last of these was established at the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal in 1939, and could accommodate nearly 300 diners. Union Station is a Chicago Train station that opened in 1925 replacing an earlier 1881 station and is now the only Intercity rail terminal in Chicago Union Station in San Diego California, is a Train station built by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to replace the existing Victorian ABQ redirects here For the city see Albuquerque New Mexico; For the USAF use of this facility see Kirtland Air Force Base; For the former airport serving

From about 1959 until about 1975, the Fred Harvey organization operated a series of restaurants in the Illinois Tollway "Oases," a set of highway rest stops built on bridges over the tollway. The original Fred Harvey company, as well as the company's very close affiliation with the Santa Fe Railway lasted until 1968 when it was purchased by the Amfac Corporation of Hawaii. Amfac Hawaii LLC was a land development company in Hawaii. Founded in 1849 as a retail and sugar business it was considered one of the so-called Big Five companies Amfac was renamed Xanterra Parks & Resorts in 2002 [1] [2]. Xanterra Parks & Resorts (formerly Amfac Resorts and Amfac Parks & Resorts) is a privately-owned United States park and resort management company based In 2006, Xanterra purchased the Grand Canyon Railway and its properties, including the Grand Canyon Hotel and El Tovar Hotel. The Grand Canyon Railway, is a passenger Railroad and Heritage railway which operates between Williams Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon The El Tovar Hotel, also known simply as El Tovar, is a former Harvey House situated just 20  ft (6  m) from the south rim of the Grand Canyon It is perhaps fitting that, effectively, Fred Harvey now operates a Santa Fe train.

References

An interior view of the dining room in The Alvarado Hotel, situated in the Rio Grande Valley, Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1904.
An interior view of the dining room in The Alvarado Hotel, situated in the Rio Grande Valley, Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1904. The Rio Grande Valley is an area located in the southernmost tip of Texas.
Fred Harvey's Hotel Castañeda (Las Vegas, New Mexico) in 1904. The two-story, Mission Revival Style brick structure is laid out in a "U"-shaped plan and features a central bell tower surrounded by an arched portico.
Fred Harvey's Hotel Castañeda (Las Vegas, New Mexico) in 1904. The two-story, Mission Revival Style brick structure is laid out in a "U"-shaped plan and features a central bell tower surrounded by an arched portico. The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century and drew inspiration from the early Spanish missions in California. A Tower which contains one or more bells or which is obviously designed to hold bells (even if it has none is a bell tower. A portico is a Porch that is leading to the entrance of a building or extended as a Colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway supported by Columns

See also

External links

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