Pioneers of the West: How 'young women of good moral character' who became Harvey Girls [tr]

UK Daily Mail ^ | January 12, 2018 | Regina F. Graham

[C19fan]

They were the true pioneers of the American West – thousands of young women aged 18 to 30 who worked six days a week at ground-breaking rail station diners that created dozens of small towns scattered 100 miles apart from each other in the Southwest and West. The majority of the brave women had traveled to these tiny and seemingly uninhabited areas leaving everything they knew behind, including their childhood homes and parents, just to have a chance to earn a decent wage and be independent, while unknowingly helping to change the landscape of the new U.S. territory gained after winning the pivotal Mexican-American War in 1848.

[C19fan]

I believe the Harvey Girls are called the Women Who Tamed the West. These were well educated women who earned a very high salary at the time.

[gr8eman]

Harvey Weinstein?

[PrincessB]

If you want a good book on the subject, I recommend “Appetite for America.” It’s the Harvey family. I’ve loaned my copy out to several people who really enjoyed it.

[MeganC]

I would have done this.

[LouieFisk]

At first, I thought this was another “metoo” story!

[Governor Dinwiddie]

[Avalon Memories]

The 40’s era musical named The Harvey Girls with Judy Garland was a fun movie.

[Buffalo Head]

"Harvey Weinstein?"

My initial thought also. I expected a story about how all of these young women migrated to Hollywood with the expectation of prostituting themselves into becoming movie starlets.

Articles about the "casting couches" filled the tabloid media back as early as the 1940's when I first learned how to read.

The current MSM and Liberal talking heads completely ignore reality. For every Bill Cosby there were scores of casting couches.

[Buffalo Head]

"Harvey Weinstein?"

My initial thought also. I expected a story about how all of these young women migrated to Hollywood with the expectation of prostituting themselves into becoming movie starlets.

Articles about the "casting couches" filled the tabloid media back as early as the 1940's when I first learned how to read.

The current MSM and Liberal talking heads completely ignore reality. For every Bill Cosby there were scores of casting couches.

[dfwgator]

Remember the character of Jack Woltz from “The Godfather”.

“And let me be even more frank, just to show you that I’m not a hard-hearted man, and it’s not all dollars and cents. She was beautiful; she was young, she was innocent. She was the greatest piece of ass I ever had, and I had’em all over the world!”

[katana]

Last year my wife and I visited the Painted Desert Inn, located in the national park. For a period of time after the 1940's it contained a Harvey diner. That part of the inn is preserved as a sort of Harvey Girls museum.

[aragorn]

I had never heard anything about the Harvey Girls until visiting a museum in Hugo, OK. The fellow on duty was a walking encyclopedia and fascinating to listen to. One of the more interesting discussion was about the Harvey Girls. They were given room and board - the establishments were carefully controlled, with limited access to the dormitory sections, and a matron to oversee the girls. The girls were required to always be in clean, proper uniform (had to change is they spilled something on their uniform) and appropriate behavior as expected of young ladies for that time.

He shared a lot more interesting information, including expectation of the Girls as the business expanded west and they met ranchers and cowboys, and the fact that the Harvey name is still in business, though owned by another name. All in all, an interesting look into the expansion west during that time period.

[Blurb2350]

I’ll second your recommendation of “Appetite for America.” It’s a fascinating look at how Fred Harvey followed the railroads as the population moved west. Rather sad, however, how the carefully built and -maintained empire fell apart as subsequent generations took it over. But then that’s the fate of all empires. Did you notice where it was mentioned in passing that a prominent homosexual “lost his virginity” to one of the sons?

[bgill]

I’m guessing they weren’t out wearing giant pink vagina costumes and showing off their boobs on Main St. and cussing out decent people like so many young women today.

[Rebelbase]

“’Wanted: Young women 18 to 30 years of age, of good moral character, attractive and intelligent, to waitress in Harvey Eating Houses

Try running a help wanted ad like that today....

[Portcall24]

My grandmother was a Harvey Girl but soon moved into management in New Mexico. I still have her book with all of the dirty purple updates that the company sent out about how to run the hotel. She married a railroader as many of them did. The hotel in Santa Fe still functions as a hotel. Bright Angel Lodge on the south rim of the Grand Canyon was a Harvey House. It really was an amazing company and I often give impromptu presentation about what it was like to work there.

[whistleduck]

I have taken an interest in the Harvey operation. Have been educating my friends and we sought out two old buildings here in Kansas linked to the operation. Odd how my interest coincided with this thread.

Going to forward all the info. I remember my parents mentioning Harvey girls a time or two.

[Mr. Jeeves]

I still see them in Asia all the time: “Shop girl wanted. Know computer. Speak a little English. Under 30 please.”

They can hire and fire whoever they want, any time, for any reason. One of the reasons they are beating us. :)

[T-Bird45]

The former Harvey House at Winslow AZ, La Posada, is still in operation today on the AMTRAK line of trains 3 & 4, the Southwest Chief, and old Route 66. Both the restaurant and hotel were in operation the last time I stopped in there and had a good lunch.

[gattaca]

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