Existing comment:
Harvey Girls:
Were young ladies, the youngest being, 16 -- the oldest being 31. Mainly from the mid-west. They were trained to be waitresses. They were required to sign a contract to work for the Fred Harvey Company. Some contracts were up to eighteen months. The average was 6 months. When the troop trains were coming through here the Harvey Girls reportedly served 96 people in 25 minutes. They were paid $17.50 a month plus tips and room and board.
It is estimated that 5,000 Harvey Girls found husbands through their employment. That averaged out to be 59 girls per Harvey House as there were 84 along the Santa Fe railroad line. |