At the time, providing quality food services was a pressing issue for the railroads

In the early 1870s, an adventurous English traveler named Fred Harvey pitched the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway with a visionary plan. His mission was to establish high-quality dining establishments along the newly laid railroad tracks that connected Kansas to the golden shores of California. At the time, providing quality food services was a pressing issue for the railroads

, and the officials in Santa Fe eagerly listened to Harvey's proposal. In an extraordinary agreement, they offered to provide the buildings, transport food, furnish the establishments, and even supply the necessary staff, all free of charge.

Harvey was promised a significant share of the profits, creating a partnership destined for triumph.

The first Harvey house welcomed patrons in 1876, when memories of Custer's Last Stand were fresh, and the Wild West truly lived up to its name. This restaurant quickly became a resounding success. Harvey, with deep pockets and impeccable taste, enticed accomplished French chefs away from the fine dining establishments of the East, rewarding them with handsome salaries. Remarkably, one of these culinary maestros earned more than the local bank president.

But Harvey's innovation didn't end there. In an era when it was often said that there were no "ladies west of Dodge City and no women west of Albuquerque," Fred Harvey was determined to change the narrative. He scoured the land for young women aged 18 to 30 with strict criteria: they must possess good character, attractiveness, and intelligence. These women would soon become the backbone of his service.

These young ladies, affectionately referred to as "Biscuit Shooters" by the cowboys of the time, were a vital part of Harvey's venture. Interestingly, Harvey seemed to prefer hiring those considered plain in appearance, believing they were more likely to honor their contracts. It was also observed that the less comely ones tended to stay out of trouble. Contracts were signed for one-year terms, yet very few remained single. This amusing phenomenon led to a witty saying attributed to Will Rogers: "Fred Harvey kept the West in food and wives," or Fred Harvey kept the West both well-fed and well-wed.

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