A Harvey Treat

Stephen Fried's Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West -- One Meal at a Time talks about the role Fred Harvey played in the food and tourism industry. As a result of reading it I became curious as to which Santa Fe depot hosted the famous Harvey Girls. I decided to look at Gainesville, TX for three reasons. First, I live in Denton, which lies 30 miles south. Two, it lies off US 82 and it was 82 years ago Fred Harvey said goodbye to the Red River community, and it rides along TX 51, a portion of the famous California Trail. After trekking up I-35/US 77, I made a left onto California Road, aka 51, and jogged several blocks until I found the moment of truth. The truck parked. Goose bumps began to infiltrate me like a disease ,I was developing Harvey Fever. Several angles of the depot were taken. (Of course it was before 10 AM so I didn't have to burn from the Texas heat)

After opening the gates, I met a young man in his early 20's with curly blonde hair and shorts. As I walked in he perked up from the chair like a dog greeting his owner. "Do you know much about Harvey," he asks with an ounce of hesitation. After a brief conversation on the town, I began the trip upstairs. "On the second floor, is where the Harvey Girls stayed." The heart began to race like a 1949 Mercury in a game called chicken. Each step made creaking sounds, an ounce of history being uncovered as I made it up the round brown painted twirling stairs.

The hall way greeted me. There were several rooms, but two were open for visitors. The first room on the left was where a Harvey Girl stayed.

(except from Harvey Girl a fictionalized account of a Harvey Girl named Clara Fern by Ms. Sheila Wood Foard) "We could hear her rapid steps down the hall as we hurried to don our uniforms. The black dress Vi had handed me was easy enough to get into. And it fit fairly well, except for the length. It needed to be exactly eight inches off the floor, but it was a good twelve inches. I checked the hem to see about letting it out, but there wasn't enough material to alter it much. The starched white pinafore, which was as short as the dress, could almost stand on its own, and it threatened to fight back when I tried to find a way into it." The sounds of the locomotive means it is time to get ready. Fern is ready to serve the new customers as she continues to carry the Fred Harvey banner.

"Life couldn't get any better for a runaway, who had gotten above her raisin' to become a Harvey Girl and live the American dream."