Women's Rights & Issues
Related: About this forumHave you ever heard of "Harvey Girls"?
This is cool... I never heard of them, but NM is honoring their contributions to settling the West:
No monuments or signs commemorate them. In fact, they often were relegated to historys sidelines. But the women who for decades ventured to work in iconic Fred Harvey establishments along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line are gradually getting their due.
Mayors of Santa Fe and Albuquerque, along with Gov. Susana Martinez, have declared Saturday as Harvey Girls Day in honor of more than 100,000 women who helped transform the West.
Their adventures began in 1883, when the girls began answering Fred Harvey Co. ads in newspapers throughout the Midwest and along the East Coast. Wanted: Well-mannered young women ages 18 to 30 years old to work as waitresses in dining rooms attached to remote stops along the new railway.
More at link:
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/life/features/researchers-document-harvey-girls-who-helped-transform-the-west/article_defa81a8-e3d8-5911-84dd-2516640e81ac.html
There is even an old movie about them, starring Judy Garland! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038589/
montanacowboy
(6,080 posts)about them and I think it's called The Harvey Girls starring Judy Garland
Very interesting, they all dressed in startched white aprons and hats and I believe they all lived in one place.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)Saw a special on them.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)Not sure where one could see it though.
Here is the link to the sneak peek: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/sneak-peek-at-the-documentary-the-harvey-girls-opportunity-bound/youtube_d0036390-010f-11e5-ba2f-9f21b29f09e0.html
rurallib
(62,387 posts)Only remember the name these days.
monmouth4
(9,686 posts)femmocrat
(28,394 posts)They didn't want to be mistaken for "loose" women.
TheCowsCameHome
(40,167 posts)They were legendary in the west.
BarbaRosa
(2,684 posts)having lived in Taos for a few years and then SW NM for the next 50 years, yes I have.
elleng
(130,768 posts)iandhr
(6,852 posts)IllinoisBirdWatcher
(2,315 posts)Fred Harvey had the concession contract at many National Parks. Probably the most famous was the El Tovar Hotel at the south rim of Grand Canyon.
When the original Illinois Tollway opened as a bypass around Chicago in the late 1950's, Fred Harvey had the exclusive on restaurants in the Tollway Oases which were unique for their time because they were built over, rather than next to, the traffic lanes.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)They were trained to check for signals, like where the glass was placed, which would signify what type of drink the customer had ordered ahead of arrival. Same with food. Thus, the customers were always amazed at how they were able to serve them so fast.
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)And I was in a masters painting class with the grandson (or maybe great grandson?) of Fred Harvey in Santa Fe many years ago. Nice kid, and he had some talent. The class was invited to paint at both Harvey residences. Good times.