The Harvey Girls

It is amazing that when you are traveling how themes start to develop. Some of the themes that we have interacted with are the exploits of the Butterfield Stage Routes right across the West, Twenty Mule Teams (the workhorse of the western Mineral Workings), Route 66 and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Seeing an exhibition of the Harvey Girls in Arizona State Capitol Museum reminded us that we have come across this name before. We first encountered The Harvey House Restaurants and the Harvey Girls in Guthrie. Our British friends,  I hear you say " Harvey House? what is that? I have never heard of this", our American friends will give a patronizing nod of the head and then sigh longingly for another icon of American history. Sally knew of the Harvey Girls through a book she had read and seen the 1946 Judy Garland film of the same name.
It seems that without realizing it our journeys have crossed the path of Fred Harvey on many occasions!
Briefly he was probably the first person to start a chain of special restaurants which served rail travellers from the 1870's until the 1970's. But they grew into much more than this, a veritable institution! As usual in America it makes a fascinating story.
So if you only have a little time then I urge you to read this review of the importance of Fred Harvey, ........or you can read more about The Harvey Girls here .......and the Harvey Restaurants here......... or .... lastly here.
Including Guthrie we have been in three Harvey Houses- Guthrie Station (briefly), we also had lunch in La Fonda Hotel,which was a Harvey House in Santa Fe, now restored and a fabulous hotel and restaurant and we also toured the visitor centre at Painted Desert National Park, which was originally a Harvey House Restaurant. Though we have passed close to 28 more of these restaurants.
Maybe I will dig out some pics and maybe we will see some more Harvey Houses on our travels.

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Get your own

Harvey Houses we have passed within a mile of.
In Arizona:

Ash Fork: “Escalante” Hotel
The Grand Canyon - South Rim
Kingman: Santa Fe Eating House
Seligman: “Havasu” Hotel
Petrified Forest National Park: Painted Desert Inn
Phoenix: Union Station News Stand and “Green Gables” Restaurant
Williams: “Fray Marcos” Hotel
Winslow: Old Santa Fe Hotel & “La Posada” Hotel

In California:
Bakersfield: Santa Fe Eating House
Barstow: “Casa del Desierto” Hotel
Fresno: Santa Fe News Stand
Mojave: Santa Fe Eating House
San Bernardino: Santa Fe Eating House
San Diego: Santa Fe Lunch Room and Shops
San Francisco: Ferry Building News Stand, “San Pedro” Santa Fe Ferry, Santa Fe Bus Terminal
Merced: Santa Fe Eating House

In New Mexico:
Albuquerque: “Alvarado” Hotel
Clovis: “Gran Quivira” Hotel
Las Cruces: News Stand
Santa Fe: “La Fonda” Hotel

In Oklahoma:
Ardmore: Santa Fe News Stand
Oklahoma City

In Texas:
Amarillo: Santa Fe Hotel
Dallas: Santa Fe Eating House
El Paso: Union Passenger Station Restaurant and Shops
Fort Worth: Santa Fe Eating House
Gainesville: Santa Fe Eating House
Galveston: Santa Fe Eating House
Temple: Santa Fe Hotel