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Civilising the West: Life with the Real Harvey Girls

© Katie Anne Gustafsson

As the American railroad snaked its way across the United States, many Americans had a urge to "go west" to explore new territories and try to make a new life in the land of opportunity. For the women who heard the call of the West, this was not so easy - especially if they were single. An Englishman by the name of Fred Harvey, who had left his native London at the age of 15, would change that in 1876 when he opened the first of his now legendary Harvey House restaurants in Topeka, Kansas.

Fred Harvey realised that there was a need for a quality kind of restaurant that would meet the needs of the travellers on the trains heading out west. Many of the eating establishments prior to the Harvey Houses being opened were basic and operated with the main objective of providing as little food as possible for the highest possible price. Food was often greasy, sparse and served so slowly that passengers were often recalled to the train before they'd had time to finish their meal. Fred Harvey's vision however did not only include the menu that would be served to weary passengers. He had a fixed image of how his waitresses would look and act. In time it would be these "Harvey Girls" who would help to civilise the west.

Placing advertisements in local newspapers in the East, Fred Harvey recruited girls who had to match up to strict criteria. They must be single, between 18 and 30 years old, well educated, have a pleasant manner, be articulate and neat, and above all, be of good moral character. Apart from the attributes required by the founder of the restaurants, these girls also had courage and a sense of adventure. Many of them were leaving comfortable homes in the east where they had been sheltered from many of life's experiences. Many more came from poorer backgrounds, often on farms, and although more knowledgeable about life, had still never left their homes or family before. Suddenly they were on a train, alone, and bound for a destination in the middle of nowhere at the end of a railway line.

Although leaving home may have been daunting and thought of as a great adventure for these girls, Fred Harvey had a strict policy for the girls in his employ. There were rules on conduct, dress and day-to-day living, as well as a firm routine that when employed in the restaurant would allow a train of passengers to have time to eat a four-course meal, served on hand painted china, in just under 30 minutes! This routine included a "cup code" that was employed by the restaurants whereby the waitress taking the order would arrange the customer's cup and saucer in such a way that another waitress would know just by looking at it what beverage the customer desired - whether coffee, tea, milk etc. Nothing was to be carried by hand. Even if the customer requested nothing more than a glass of water, then it must be brought on a tray. The hours were long and often included the necessity for the girls to wake in the middle of the night, get out bed, dress in their uniform in order to meet a train. No matter what time of day or night it was, a Harvey Girl was expected to be well turned out and pleasant to the customers.

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