Harvey House Restaurants [1875-1968] at 'Readers of the Purple Sage'

Harvey House restaurants and hotels brought clean & nutritious food and outstanding lodgings to the
railroad & automobile traveler from 1875 to 1965, the first chain of restaurants and the first
chain of hotels in America. There were 100 or so Fred Harvey Company facilities (84 at one time),
which consisted of restaurants, hotels, lunchrooms, and newsstands; 87 are listed below.

       Frederick Henry Harvey was born in England on 27 June 1835. His family arrived in New York City in 1850; he worked in restaurants, and later in a jewelry store. He married Barbara Sarah Mattas in St. Louis, Missouri in 1855, and they opened a restaurant there; when the Civil War broke out, their Confederacy-sympathetic partner absconded with the funds, and Fred found work with the railroads, as a traveling freight agent – his travels made it very clear that good & sanitary meals were lacking across America. He moved his family to Leavenworth, Kansas in 1865.
       In 1875, Fred met Charles Morse, head of the new Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and they formed a partnership; that year, Fred opened two small eating houses on the AT&SF subsidiary Kansas Pacific Railway, at Wallace, Kansas and at Hugo, Oklahoma. In 1876, he took over the Santa Fe depot restaurant in Topeka, Kansas. In 1878, he opened the first Harvey House Hotel (now a museum) in Florence, Kansas.
       In 1881, he replaced his male waiters with the famous "Harvey Girls", renowned for their good looks, fine manners, and efficiency. By 1883, he had 17 restaurants along the Santa Fe's main line; that same year he bought a small mansion in Leavenworth, Kansas. By 1901, when Fred Harvey died, there were 47 Harvey House restaurants and 15 Harvey House Hotels (all in 12 states), and 30 Harvey House dining cars on the AT&SF Railroad.

'Serving Up Love' HarveyHouse romance anthology

"Serving Up Love" anthology [2019]
four novellas by historical romance writers, 'tales of sweet romance and entertaining history': "A Flood of Love" by Tracie Peterson: Gretchen Gottsacker returns home to New Mexico for the first time in years to fill in at the Harvey House . . .; "More Than a Pretty Face" by Karen Witemeyer: Rosalind Kemp becomes a Harvey Girl, clinging to the promise of one day trans-ferring even farther west . . .; "Intrigue a La Mode" by Regina Jennings: strange things are happening in the railyard after dark, and a hadsome new employee at the Harvey House needs Willow Kentworth's assistance; and "A Grand Encounter" by Jen Turano: Miss Myrtle Schermerhorn flees New York for a position at the El Tovar Hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon
Kindle Edition from Bethany House Publrs [11/2019] for $10.16
Bethany House Publrs 8½x5½ pb [11/2019] for $10.69
Bethany House Publrs 8½x5½ hardcover [11/2019] for $29.99

Fred Harvey & Company
Fred Harvey [1835-1901] entry at Wikipedia

formal portrait of restaurant tycoon Fred Harvey, circa 1870

Fred Harvey worked in restaurants in New York City and in St. Louis, Missouri, and then with the railroads during the U.S. Civil War, as a traveling freight agent. His travels made it very clear that good & sanitary meals were lacking across America.

In 1875, Fred met Charles Morse, head of the new Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and they formed a partnership; that same year, Fred opened two small eating houses on the AT&SF subsidiary Kansas Pacific Railway, at Wallace, Kansas and at Hugo, Oklahoma; in 1878, he opened the first Harvey House Hotel in Florence, Kansas.

By 1901, when he died at age 65, there were 47 Harvey House restaurants and 15 Harvey House hotels (all within 12 states), and 30 Harvey House dining cars on the AT&SF Railroad.

The company continued under the leadership of his sons and grandsons until 1965, and was sold in 1968 to the Hawaii-based hospitality industry conglomerate Amfac, Inc.

Fred Harvey Company en route meal service
Santa Fe Railroad's San Francisco to Richmond ferry service [??-1933]
Santa Fe Railroad's California Limited
Santa Fe Railroad's Super Chief

Missouri {9 towns listed}
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand [opened 1896, closed 1930] in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Harvey Newsstand & Soda Fountain [early 1896; built 1913, closed 1930; now senior housing] in Joplin, Missouri
Harvey House Restaurant [opened 1914] at Union Station [closed 1980s; restored 1999] in Kansas City, Missouri
Harvey House Restaurant [early 1888; built 1913, restored] in Marceline, Missouri
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand [opened 1896, closed 1930] in Monett, Missouri
Frisco Line Harvey Hotel [demolished] in Monett, Missouri
Harvey House Restaurant [demolished] in Newburg, Missouri
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand [opened 1896, closed 1930] in Springfield, Missouri
Frisco Line Harvey House Restaurant [demolished] in Springfield, Missouri

Harvey House Restaurant [opened 1914] at the Terminal Hotel of Union Station in St. Louis, Missouri
now the Station Grille restaurant, situated in the Marriott St. Louis Union Station hotel
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand [opened 1896, closed 1930] in Eads Bridge station in St. Louis, Missouri
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand [opened 1896, closed 1930] in Tower Grove station in St. Louis, Missouri

Kansas {17 towns listed}
Harvey House Restaurant in Arkansas City, Kansas
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand in Augusta, Kansas
Harvey House Restaurant [built 1896, now a city library] in Chanute, Kansas
Harvey House El Vaquero Hotel [opened 1900, closed 1948, restored 2002] in Dodge City, Kansas
Harvey House Hotel [opened 1880, closed 1937, demolished] in Emporia, Kansas

Harvey House El Bisonte Hotel [built 1906, closed 1946, demolished] in Hutchinson, Kansas
color postcard view of 1906 Harvey House El Bisonte Hotel (demolished) in Hutchinson, Kansas

color postcard view of 1906 Harvey House El Bisonte Hotel (demolished) in Hutchinson, Kansas

Harvey House lunchroom [1879-1880] in Lakin, Kansas
Santa Fe Harvey Newsstand in Lawrence, Kansas

Harvey House Arcade Hotel [early 1883, replaced 1900, closed 1979, restored] in Newton, Kansas
building now mostly occupied by a law firm [since 1993]

Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand in Pittsburg, Kansas
Harvey House Sequoyah Hotel [opened 1908, closed 1936, demolished] in Syracuse, Kansas
second Fred Harvey eating house [opened 1876, closed 1940] in Topeka, Kansas

early Fred Harvey eating house [opened 1875] at Wallace, Kansas on the Kansas Pacific Railway
b&w postcard view of staff at Harvey House Dining Room at the Wallace Hotel in Kansas, circa 1875

b&w postcard view of staff at Harvey House Dining Room at the Wallace Hotel in Kansas, circa 1875

full view of the Wallace Hotel in Kansas, circa 1875

Harvey House Hotel [opened 1883, closed 1939, demolished 1965] in Wellington, Kansas
Harvey House Restaurant [1913-35] at Union Station [built 1913; sold 2009 for redevelopment] in Wichita, Kansas

Sante Fe Depot and Harvey House [opened 1903; restored as restaurant & museum; standing empty 2013] in Guthrie, Oklahoma
restored AT&SF Depot and Harvey House building in Guthrie, Oklahoma

restored AT&SF Depot and Harvey House building in Guthrie, Oklahoma

early Fred Harvey eating house [opened 1875] at Hugo, Oklahoma on the Kansas Pacific Railway

Frisco Lines Depot and Harvey House [built 1914, restored & now a museum] in Hugo, Oklahoma
restored Frisco Lines Depot and Harvey House Museum in Hugo, Oklahoma

restored Frisco Lines Depot and Harvey House Museum in Hugo, Oklahoma

Sante Fe Depot and Harvey House [built 1904, closed 1990?; demolished] in Purcell, Oklahoma

Frisco Lines Depot and Harvey Eating House lunchroom [demolished] in Vinita, Oklahoma
color postcard view of the Frisco Depot and Harvey Eating House (demolished) in Vinita, Oklahoma

color postcard view of the Frisco Depot and Harvey Eating House (demolished) in Vinita, Oklahoma

Sante Fe Depot and Harvey House [opened 1910, closed 1937; restored as museum] in Waynoka, Oklahoma
restored Harvey House Museum in Waynoka, Oklahoma

restored Harvey House Museum in Waynoka, Oklahoma

Colorado {5 towns listed}
Sante Fe Depot and Harvey House [now a school] in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Harvey House El Otero Hotel [closed 1948; demolished] in La Junta, Colorado
Harvey House Restaurant [demolished] in Palmer Lake, Colorado
the Pueblo, Colorado Harvey House closed circa 1888
Sante Fe Depot and Cardenas Hotel [circa 1900; demolished] in Trinidad, Colorado

Arkansas {4 towns listed}
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand [replaced] in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Frisco Line Harvey Newsstand [circa 1911; remodeled & standing] in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Harvey House Restaurant [demolished] in Jonesboro, Arkansas
Harvey House Restaurant [demolished] in Rogers, Arkansas

Sante Fe Depot and Harvey House [opened 1910, closed 1940; building sold 1993] in Amarillo, Texas
now Worldwide Antiques store, 401 So. Grant Street

Sante Fe Depot and Harvey House [opened 1909, restored as civic center] in Brownwood, Texas

Sante Fe Depot and Harvey House [opened c. 1897, closed 1923; demolished] in Rosenberg, Texas

Harvey House Restaurant [standing] in Raton, New Mexico
Fred Harvey Indian Detours [1925-1937] headquartered in Raton, New Mexico

Harvey House Castañeda Hotel [opened 1898; closed 1948; long vacant; sold for refurbish 2014]
in Las Vegas, New Mexico
trackside view of long-empty Castañeda Hotel (being restored 2014) in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 2014

trackside view of long-empty Castañeda Hotel (being restored 2014) in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 2014

Montezuma Castle Hotel [early 1882, built 1886, closed 1903; now a college] in Las Vegas, New Mexico
Montezuma Castle Hotel (now a school) in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 2005

Montezuma Castle Hotel (now a school) in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 2005

El Ortiz Hotel & Lunchroom [earlier 1896; opened 1910; closed 1938; demolished 1943] in Lamy, New Mexico
interiors by architect Mary Jane Colter [1869-1958]
color postcard view (circa 1930) of El Ortiz Hotel & Lunchroom (demolished) in Lamy, New Mexico

color postcard view (circa 1930) of El Ortiz Hotel & Lunchroom (demolished) in Lamy, New Mexico

Harvey House Visitor Center [in use today]
below the Puye Cliff Dwellings south & west of Española, New Mexico
Harvey House Visitor Center (in use today) at Puye Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico

Harvey House Visitor Center (in use today) at Puye Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico

Harvey House Las Chavez Hotel [closed in 1936; demolished] in Vaughn, New Mexico
b&w postcard view of the Harvey House Los Chavez Hotel in Vaughn, New Mexico

b&w postcard view of the Harvey House Los Chavez Hotel in Vaughn, New Mexico

Albuquerque’s Alvarado Hotel book by Deborah C. Slaney

"Jewel of The Railroad Era: Albuquerque’s Alvarado Hotel, 1902-1970" [2009]
by Deborah C. Slaney
Designed & built by the Fred Harvey Company, fabulous interior designed by architect
Mary Colter, opened in 1902 and operated until the 1960s, demolished in 1970
The Albuquerque Museum 11x9 pb [12/2009] for $28.87

æ æ

The town of San Marcial, New Mexico was destroyed by devastating floods in 1929,
including the AT&SF station and a medium-size Harvey House Restaurant
only known photograph of the Harvey House Restaurant in San Marcial, New Mexico

only known photograph of the Harvey House Restaurant in San Marcial, New Mexico

How Arizona Sold Its Sunshine, Historical Hotels of Arizona book by Victoria Clark

"How Arizona Sold Its Sunshine: Historical Hotels of Arizona" [2003]
by Victoria Clark
Describes 65 Arizona establishments, existing or not, big or small, including six Harvey House locations: Bright Angel Lodge [open] at the Grand Canyon, El Tovar Hotel [open] at the Grand Canyon, Escalante Hotel [gone] in Ashfork, Fray Marcos de Niza Hotel [gone] in Williams, La Posada Hotel [open] in Winslow, and Painted Desert Inn [open] east of Holbrook
Blue Gourd Publng 8½x5½ pb [12/2003] for $19.95

Escalante Hotel [early site 1895, hotel built 1905, closed 1948, demolished 1970s] in Ash Fork, Arizona
color postcard of Hotel Escalante Harvey House in Ash Fork, Arizona

color postcard of Hotel Escalante Harvey House in Ash Fork, Arizona

Harvey House Fray Marcos de Niza Hotel [built 1908, in use by Grand Canyon Railway] in Williams, Arizona
color postcard view of the Harvey House Fray Marcos de Niza Hotel (in use today) in Williams, Arizona

color postcard view of the Harvey House Fray Marcos de Niza Hotel (in use today) in Williams, Arizona

Harvey House El Tovar Hotel [built 1905; still in operation] at Grand Canyon, Arizona
decorated by architect Mary Jane Colter [1869-1958]
http://www.amazon.com/Tovar-Canyon-National-Lodges-W-W-West/dp/0965392430/
Harvey House El Tovar Hotel (still in operation) at Grand Canyon, Arizona

Harvey House El Tovar Hotel (still in operation) at Grand Canyon, Arizona

Harvey House Phantom Ranch buildings [opened 1922; still in operation] at the bottom of the Grand Canyon
designed by architect Mary Jane Colter [1869-1958]

El Garces Hotel in Needles, California
[built 1908, closed 1949; depot closed 1988; partial restoration 2007-2014]
color postcard view of the El Garces Hotel in Needles, California

color postcard view of the El Garces Hotel in Needles, California

color postcard view of the Santa Fe Limited train at Needles, California

Harvey House Restaurant [opened 1918; restored as offices] in San Bernardino, California

early Harvey House [built 1900] at Santa Fe's Le Grand Station in Los Angeles, California
Harvey House Restaurant [opened May 1939] at Union Station in Los Angeles, California
restaurant designed by architect Mary Jane Colter [1869-1958]
Fred Harvey Restaurant at the Los Angeles Music Center

Fred Harvey Restaurant & Cocktail House, 1743 No. Cahuenga Blvd. in Hollywood, California

Harvey House Restaurant aka Bakersfield Eating House [demolished 1972] in Bakersfield, California
color postcard view of the Santa Fe Railroad Depot in Bakersfield, California

color postcard view of the Santa Fe Railroad Depot in Bakersfield, California

1915 color postcard view of Bakersfield Eating House at the Santa Fe Railroad Depot in Bakersfield, California

"The Indian-Detour" silent short [1926]

The Indian-Detour 1926 promo film by Fred Harvey Co.

16-minute silent promo film for Fred Harvey Co.; • Produced by R. Hunter Clarkson;
written by Roger Birdseye • bare credits at IMDb
available on DVD as part of "Treasures V: The West, 1898-1938" [2011]
which includes 40 preserved films on 3 DVDs, with 110-page booklet
Image Ent. b&w/color DVD set [9/2011] 3 disks & booklet - out of prodn/used

"Mary Jane Colter: The Desert View - The Story of The Chief Architect
For The Fred Harvey Company" [indep 1997]
53-minute documentary film produced, written & directed by Jennifer Lee;
narrated by Ellen Burstyn • credits at IMDb
DVD/Blu-ray not available • indep color VHS [1997] out of prodn/scarce

Harvey Girls Opportunity Bound documentary by Katrina Parks

"The Harvey Girls: Opportunity Bound" documentary
[American Public TV June 2013]
57-minute documentary with historic footage plus rare interviews with still-living former Harvey Girls and with Stephen Fried, award-winning author of "Appetite For America"
Co-produced, written & directed by Katrina Drabkin Parks; narrated by Lori Hebert
Assertion Films color/b&w DVD [11/2013] for $16.99
credits at IMDb • watch 9/2013 official trailer [2:39] online at YouTube

postcard map of Fred Harvey Hotel locations, from Kansas to California		portion of brochure/menu from Santa Fe's 'California Limited', circa 1890s

Harvey Girl waitresses in Winslow, Arizona		Orange Empire Railway Museum and Harvey Girls Historical Society

Fred Harvey Signature Coffee 12-ounce bag

Fred Harvey Signature Coffee [12/2020]
private label coffee produced by Local Roasters Coffee Co. in Wichita, Kansas
coffee bags branded for either Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel or the Belen Harvey House Museum - not yet available at Amazon (2/2022)
branded for Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel and sold by Fred Harvey Company successor Xanterra Parks & Resorts [renamed 2002] / $17.99 + s/h for 12-oz bag, ground or whole bean
branded for and sold by the Belen Harvey House Museum / $24.99 for 12-oz bag, ground or whole bean - includes shipping

"Buffalo fed the West for years and they put it on a nickel. Fred Harvey took up where the buffalo left off."
— attributed to Will Rogers [1879-1935]

here on the Harvey House Restaurants [1875-1968] Page
at 'Readers of the Purple Sage' Western Bookstore

Visiting this webpage from outside the U.S.A.? It is possible to make purchases from these coded Amazon (USA) links
via other Amazon sites: just follow these instructions.

	"Meals By Fred Harvey" [T.C.U. Press 1966] by James David Henderson Omni pb [1985] out of print/used
	"The Harvey Girls: Women Who Opened The West" [1989] by Lesley Poling-Kempes Treasure Chest 9x6 pb [9/91] for $10.17 Paragon House 9x6 pb [9/91] out of print/used Paragon House hardcover [11/89] out of print/used
	"The Harvey Girls: The Women Who Civilized The West" [ages 5-9; 1994] by Juddi Morris Walker YA 9x7¼ pb [1/96] for $11.94 Walker YA 9½x8 hardcover [6/94] out of print/used
	"The Great Southwest of The Fred Harvey Company and The Santa Fe Railway" [1996] Edited by Marta Weigle & Barbara A. Babcock Heard Museum 12x9 pb [6/96] out of print/used

	"Harvey Girl" [ages 9-12; 2006] by Sheila Wood Foard Texas Tech Univ Press 8¾x5¾ pb [4/2006] for $11.53
	"The Harvey House Cookbook: Memories of Dining Along The Santa Fe Railroad" [orig 1992, rev 2006] by George H. Foster & Peter C. Weiglin 30 vintage photographs & over 200 recipes Taylor Trade 2nd edition 9x7 pb [5/2006] for $14.49 Longstreet Press 9x7 pb [10/2001] out of print/used Longstreet Press 9x7¼ hardcover [9/92] out of print/used
	"Spoons West! Fred Harvey, The Navajo, and The Souvenir Spoons of The Southwest, 1890-1941" [2007] by Nick T. Spark Lulu.com 10¾x8¼ pb [11/2007] for $29.95
	"Fred Harvey Houses of The Southwest" packet of 15 postcards [2008] by Richard Melzer Arcadia Publng looseleaf postcards [11/2008] for $7.99
	"Images of America: Fred Harvey Houses of The Southwest" [2008] by Richard Melzer Arcadia Publng 9x6½ pb [11/2008] for $14.95
	"Touring The West With The Fred Harvey Co. & The Santa Fe Railway" [2008] by Paul & Kathleen Nickens Schiffer Publng 11x8½ pb [11/2008] for $21.36
	"When Molly Was A Harvey Girl: A Novel of The Old West" [grades 6-9; novel 2009] by Frances M. Wood Left penniless when their father suddenly dies, 13-year-old Molly and her older sister Colleen find work at the Harvey House in Raton, New Mexico (Molly lies about her age). Kane/Miller 8¾x6 hardcover [1/2009] out of print/used
	"Appetite For America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built A Railroad Hospitality Empire That Civilized The Wild West" [2010] by Stephen Fried Bantam 9¼x6 pb [5/2011] for $12.24 Bantam 9¼x6½ hardcover [3/2010] for $17.82
	"Fred Harvey Jewelry, 1900-1955" [2013] by Dennis June Schiffer 11x8¾ hardcover [10/2013] for $39.99
	"Through The Deep Waters: A Novel" [2014] by Kim Vogel Sawyer Timid seventeen-year-old Dinah flees Chicago to pursue a dream of working as a Harvey Girl, but is still too young; she finds a temporary job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas; when a hand-some chicken farmer becomes interested in her, she shrinks still further away from the people around her . . . Kindle Edition from WaterBrook Press/Random House [6/2014] for $9.99 WaterBrook Press 8¼x5½ pb [5/2014] for $12.33
	"Diary of A Waitress: The Not-So-Glamorous Life of A Harvey Girl" [ages 10 & up; 2015 novel] by Carolyn Meyer Set in 1926; reports by teenage Kitty Evans of the trials and adventures of herself and fellow Harvey Girls Cordelia and Emmy. Kindle Edition from Calkins Creek [4/2015] for $7.99 Calkins Creek 8¼x5¾ hardcover [4/2015] for $13.43

	"Fred Harvey" biographical article [circa 1921] by Elbert Hubbard [1856-1915] Hubbard published an article about restaurant tycoon Fred Harvey as part of the "Little Journeys To The Homes of The Great" series produced by Hubbard's Roycrofters commune 18-page Kessinger Publng 11x8½ pb [9/2010] for $7.96
	"Fred Harvey: Creator of Western Hospitality" [2000] by William Patrick Armstrong Canyonlands Publns 8¾x6 pb [1/2000] out of print/used

Readers of the Purple Sage BookstoreHarvey House Restaurants[1875-1968]

Readers of the Purple Sage Bookstore
Harvey House Restaurants
[1875-1968]