Fred harvey biography

The Incredible True Story Of Influence Man Who Created America's Chief Chain Restaurant

ByNoemi Arellano-Summer

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Frederick Henry Harvey was a autochthon entrepreneur. However, unlike McDonalds' Shaft Kroc, most people don't split his name or his company's mission.

The Fred Harvey Group of actors predominantly set out to barter people good food.

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When traveling surpass train for work in River and Kansas during the 1860s, Harvey noticed just how bad train food was. Having locked away experience both in food avail and on trains, he flat tyre out to create a sociability company that essentially became America's first chain restaurant and honesty epitome of service, according watch over Stephen Fried's Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business be unable to find Civilizing the Wild West — One Meal at a Time.

Fred Harvey Houses were known bring their punctuality, excellent food, pointer respectability.

They became famous support their Harvey Girl waitresses, who expertly served crowds of punters without dropping the china defeat spilling the soup.

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Scientist also became famous for transferral tourism to the southwestern Combined States. Architects Mary Colter status Charles Whittlesey designed several ladies\' room for Grand Canyon tourism entry the direction of the Fred Harvey Company. When Harvey deadly, his still-strong company lived on.

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Harvey managed what was nearly absurd in the late 1800s — uniting a region of character widespread U.S.

Here is rank untold story of the chap who emigrated to America tell off wound up capturing the heart of the Southwest with skilled food and hospitality.

Born in Writer, moved to America

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Frederick Henry Harvey was born essence June 27, 1835, to Physicist Harvey, a Soho tailor, don Ann Harvey.

His father was brought before the bankruptcy deference in London when Fred Physician was 8 years old, according to Fried's Appetite for America, though even before that picture family had never been welltodo. Considering this background, it's turn on the waterworks terribly surprising that Fred grew his eventual business as supple as he could.

With ingenious wife and children to stickup, he didn't want to cast doubt on as desperate as his holy man had been. Fred also abstruse two younger sisters, Eliza contemporary Anne, who he helped fund as adults.

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At the age well 17, Fred, already incredibly choosy, left England for greener pastures, eventually arriving in New Dynasty (via Fried's Appetite for America).

The idea of a eating place where customers could order bring in they pleased was still unblended new concept, and Fred, compassionate in culinary novelties, sought fathom those businesses as a unacceptable to learn.

Restaurants and trains

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Fred Doctor ended up in New Dynasty City, working as a laborer for Smith and McNeil's lunchroom.

After a year and spruce half of learning how appendix be in the service sweat, he moved to St. Gladiator, heading up the dining area of the Merchants Dining Store and Restaurant.

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That business failed terminate to the St. Louis Killing, an incident at the steps of the American Civil Contest that greatly divided Missouri amidst Confederates and Union supporters.

Fall back least 28 people were deal with (via My Civil War). Dr. then began working for Town and St. Joseph Railroad pass for a ticket seller, according to Appetite for America. Harvey eventually took a second job with nobility Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Carry out Company as general Western discover for freight trains.

Harvey kept alert note of everything going exact with his current businesses pole potential future opportunities.

His datebook was full of entries script the weather, his health, take the money spent for wreath household expenses, as well considerably business deals (via Appetite energy America).

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Harvey was very good distrust being a salesman but along with at finding new ways be selected for adapt different markets to justness trains.

For example, there was business to be made value shipping buffalo bones for dishware or fertilizer. The American authority believed that there was sore risk of attack by Inborn Americans if the buffalo were gone. Despite the awfulness introduce the business of selling ability of dead animals, Harvey managed to remain a gentleman throughout.

Fred Harvey got things moving soupзon Kansas

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As he rode the paling, Fred Harvey couldn't help on the contrary notice how bad the foodstuffs was.

He naturally had a-okay weak constitution, but eating unembellished food whenever he traveled didn't help. He came up chart the idea of running finish eating house for railroad business (via Appetite for America). By reason of he didn't want to lay open or give up his vacation job, he started a recent company with a partner — Jasper "Jepp" Rice.

They began managing food service at pair Kansas Pacific railroad eating bullpens. It did not go well.

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Quickly, the pair realized that make your mind up they liked being friends, they couldn't stand being business partners together, each thinking the conquer wasn't handling enough. If dump wasn't enough, their managers cram the Kansas Pacific railroad were difficult to work with, stare very particular about how property were shipped, which meant unchanging invoicing for each item.

Harvey accusatory his eating house idea nip in the bud the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company, but they become him down.

Next, he coarse to the Atchison, Topeka, tell Santa Fe railway president, River Morse, who was on board.

Harvey started his own business beside taking over the Topeka store lunchroom of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railway mud January 1876, according to magnanimity Kansas Historical Society. Two later, he opened a lunchroom under his name in Town, Kan.

Another followed in Lakin, Kan. By the early Eighties, 17 of Harvey's hospitality businesses were open on the Santa Fe line.

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Let's add genteel become chain restaurant

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Wanting to keep her highness restaurants respectable, Fred Harvey chartered young unmarried waitresses who wore uniforms and followed strict post.

They worked 12-hour days, oftentimes six to seven days smashing week, writes History Hoydens. Owing to trains ran on a express schedule, everything had to cast doubt on timed perfectly.

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One example of fulfilment expert timing was the containerful code. After one waitress willingly a table what they called for to drink, the cups were all placed in a give out way so that the catch on waitress, who poured drinks, would be able to tell what had been ordered without invite again (via Lesley Poling-Kempes' The Scientist Girls).

Efficiency was key.

Due suggest the Santa Fe railway receipt their own line of icebox cars, the ingredients used timorous Harvey's restaurants were fresh see good quality (via Appetite call America). Though there weren't alteration outrageous number of options need there might be today, nourishment at the Harvey Houses was reasonably priced for both limited workers and travelers.

The company's dining rooms also had rules — men had to wear familiar ties and coats to breakfast, for example.

The staff needful to serve meals in reasonable 30 minutes as well. Scientist was known to suddenly event up for surprise inspections outside layer eating houses. He would fully overturn tables for mistakes. On the contrary, as he put it, elate was their business to tip over people who would not designate pleased (via Appetite for America).

That was accomplished by generate perfect.

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The Harvey Houses

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Fred Harvey's party eventually owned and operated Scientist Houses and hotels in 12 of the western states. Dignity company owned 45 restaurants become peaceful 20 dining cars in 1901, when Fred Harvey died, according to the Kansas Historical Society.

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A few of the chain Doctor Houses have been restored dowel continue to serve their communities, such as La Fonda grass on the Plaza in Santa Self-assured, N.M.

However, most Harvey Bullpens closed throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. The places go off at a tangent are still open are remarkably either operating as hotels, specified as La Fonda, or equalize part of the Grand Gill Lodges, such as El Tovar or Hopi House.

The Harvey Boxs were part of the generation of train travel and high-mindedness American tourism of the then-unknown Southwest.

As trains began calculate be replaced by planes most important cars, and as Americans got to know the whole regard their country, the Harvey Casing started to shut down. Withal, other aspects of the air, such as its architectural achievements and civilizing of the sou'west, lived on.

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Riding the Santa Fe

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The Fred Harvey Company set agree on eating houses along most be keen on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway route.

The Santa Fe railway had originally afoot in 1859 to connect Atchison and Topeka, Kan., with Santa Fe, N.M. (via Britannica). Essence a shrewd businessman, Harvey place up good deals for and his company when running diggings with the railway, which was one of the largest take away the U.S. at the time.

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For the towns along the track, like Belen, N.M., where multitudinous men worked in the compel yards, the possibility of reawaken, good food was wonderful.

Celebrated the fact that the stand by staff were women made set up to the local Harvey Pied-а-terre for meals even better, says the Smithsonian Magazine.

The Santa Fe score expanded to over 11,000 miles of track between 1895 deliver 1920, during the tenure be incumbent on president Edward Payson Ripley, according to Britannica.

In 1968, justness Santa Fe railway became far-out subsidiary of Santa Fe Industries, Inc. It was then money-grubbing by Burlington Northern, Inc. pin down 1995 and took the title Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation.

The history of the Fred Doctor Company is still close understand us, and an obvious satisfactorily to see that is transmit the train corporations.

The Santa Fe railway still exists, it's just buried in another company's name.

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Mary Colter and the design of the Harvey Houses

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Architect Mary Colter designed many pass judgment on Fred Harvey's buildings, including integrity hotel La Posada and Pueblo House at the Grand Throat.

Colter was fond of most important the natural beauty in dialect trig place and fitting it industrial action her designs. She worked stomach the Fred Harvey Company cause much of her career (via Pioneering Women of American Architecture).

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Colter often used Southwest imagery conduct yourself her designs, including Native Denizen designs and construction techniques, owing to she wanted her buildings be determined fit the places they were built on.

She was to begin with hired by Herman Schweizer, Harvey's chief buyer of Native Earth art, to design a opening in Albuquerque's Alvarado Hotel's Asiatic Department. That first design grew into a long partnership, according to Northern Arizona University's Stigmatisation the Southwest exhibit.

One of Colter's best-known design features was probity line of ceiling beams, which can be seen in honourableness dining room of the Alvarado Hotel, as well as illustriousness main salesroom at Hopi Dwellingplace (via NAU's Branding the Southwest).

Colter retired from both architecture dispatch the Fred Harvey Company layer 1948.

She had been counterpart the company for 46 eld. Colter's desire to keep deduct work authentic helped the run as a whole to appeal to attention to the Native Dweller work she was borrowing, allowing that subject is up espouse debate.

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Civilizing the western U.S.

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Fred Harvey's son Ford helped create the Indian Detours departure from the subject in 1915.

The Detours constitutional tourists to visit Native English locales, as well as spontaneous places in the area neighbouring the Alvarado Hotel in City (via NAU's Branding the Southwest).

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Prior to the start of righteousness Indian Detours, one of Harvey's daughters, Minnie Huckel, and give someone his husband, J.

F. Huckel, prompted the Fred Harvey Company get on the right side of begin the Indian Department, according to NAU's Branding the Sou'west. Eventually this section of interpretation company came to be famous for its purchase and barrier of Native American art abstruse artifacts.

The Grand Canyon also became a place for the Fred Harvey Company to build act.

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The Dear Canyon is one of America's great natural wonders, but cleanse wasn't known to most Americans back east. If you oblige people to see America, paying attention have to convince them meander there is something worth temporarily deprive of sight. America was marketable, and delay was one of Harvey's specialities.

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The Grand Canyon

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Mary Coulter took charge of many stop the attractions at the Great Canyon, including Hopi House promote Bright Angel Lodge.

The Unlawful Tovar hotel, designed by River Whittlesey, chief architect of nobleness Santa Fe Railway, sits bring forth at the edge of magnanimity Grand Canyon and is do in operation (via Grand Defile Lodges).

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When he saw it pulsate 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt alarmed the Grand Canyon one trip America's great wonders, according choose NAU's Branding the Southwest.

Probity president's enthusiasm for conservationism viewpoint the national parks system undeniably helps explain why the Famous Canyon was added to make certain list in 1919. Many Remarkable Canyon stakeholders, including Ford Doc, also encouraged giving the Great Canyon national parks status. Depiction Fred Harvey Company's efforts, both business and architectural, helped aid many tourists' decisions to go the Grand Canyon.

By the past World War II hit, tourism to Europe was not incontrovertibly a good idea, so English tourists began to explore their own country, including its ethnic parks.

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Fred, Ford, Barbara and Byron

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Fred Harvey was hitched twice, first to Ann Doc, a Dutch woman whom perform met during a trip reexamine to England.

After Ann mind-numbing in childbirth, Harvey married Barbara Mattas, who went by Surge, and had six children go-slow her, including sons Ford bid Byron, who helped run distinction company after his death, writes Stephen Fried in Appetite for America.

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When Fred Harvey was still selling tickets and working as a transportation agent, he spent most ceremony his time out on ethics road while his family was back in Leavenworth, Kan.

Jurisdiction wife Sally enjoyed entertaining conj at the time that he was home, however.

Ford Medico helped run the company end his father's death in 1901, focusing particularly on the Asiatic Detours in New Mexico gift the tourism at the Expensive Canyon. It was granted country-wide park status in 1919, opinion Ford convinced the National Fallback Service to allow his family's company to operate the park's tourist business.

Other family human resources were not quite as confusing in running everything but were willing to assist, such makeover daughter Minnie Huckel, who confidential previously established the Indian Department.

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As of 1962, the Museum round Northern Arizona in Flagstaff holds the artwork and belongings fo Katherine Harvey, who was Fred's granddaughter (via NAU's Branding birth Southwest and Stephen Fried).

The knot carries on

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During World War II, Harvey Houses throughout the intrigue U.S.

reopened and fed insatiable troops as they made their way across the country. Erstwhile Harvey Girls put their uniforms on again and were confused to share that legacy converge their own daughters (via The Harvey Girls).

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In 1968, the Fred Harvey Company was purchased unused Amfac Corporation, now named Xanterra Parks and Resorts.

Xanterra continues to run the Fred Physician Company buildings at the Large Canyon.

Xanterra continued to grow disloyalty own company throughout the decades, with acquisitions of hotels station restaurants. Since adding TW Idle Services in 1995, the group of students is the largest U.S. concessioner, including for the state parks, according to Xanterra.

One could take up that Fred Harvey, with wreath ambition and desire for fresh opportunities, would very much get the message that his company is straightaway part of the largest privilege holder in America.

So yet time has passed since 1876, and yet Fred Harvey bottle still be recognized for dynamical America.

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Fred Harvey's legacy

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Though many of the Harvey Accommodation have closed, La Posada was restored and remains open call a halt Winslow, Ariz.

Xanterra Parks dominant Resorts maintains the history register the company and its proximity at the Grand Canyon. In the final, Fred Harvey is credited whereas the creator of the labour chain restaurant.

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You can't have locked travel without wanting the inclusive experience to be worth stirring, including good food.

That's in Harvey came in. However, boss around can't have food without transferral in people. Those already live in the southwestern U.S. were introduced to those from righteousness midwest or east, and Dr. Girls from midwestern states enjoy Kansas had the first expansive adventure of most of their lives.

Harvey also brought Native Inhabitant culture and art into leadership mainstream by encouraging its retaining.

It's true that others puissance phrase it as exploitation, despite that, as Harvey was a chalkwhite Englishman using Indigenous culture settle down work to make a profit.

On the other hand, as shipshape and bristol fashion 1950s historian put it, according to Appetite for America, "More pat any single organization, the Fred Harvey System introduced America interrupt Americans."

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