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TheMostFamousHoteliersofAllTimeVol.2
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therestaurantbusinessfromtheownersoftheestablishmentHenrySmithandTom
McNell.Theytaughthimthetruthabouttheimportanceofusingfreshingredients
forpreparingmealsthatwereserved,thevalueofsealingdealswithahandshakeand
thepowerofcash.Notquitefondofbankloans,theywouldalwaysendthedayby
serviceshadasignificantimpactonFred’slifedowntheline.
FredHarveyspendeighteenmonthsinNewYork.Inthatperiod,helearnedthathis
motherfellillwithtuberculosisanddiedinAugust1855attheageofforty-eight.One
yearlater,heusedhissavingstogotoNewOrleans,theculinarycapitaloftheSouth;
however,hesoonconcludedthatitwasnottherightplaceforhim.Hethenheaded
northtoSt.Louis,wherehegotajobatthehotelnamedButterfieldHouse.Theowner
ofthatfacilityAbnerHitchcockbecamehisdearfriend,amentorandasponsorwhen
HarveywasfilinganapplicationforAmericancitizenship.OnJuly27,1858,twenty-
three-year-oldFredHarveyofficiallyrenouncedhisallegiancetoQueenVictoriaand
declaredhisloyaltytotheUnitedStates.Healsodecidedtoenterintopartnership
withthirty-eight-year-oldIrishimmigrantWilliamDoyle,whoranMerchantsDining
SaloonandRestaurantat10thChestnutStreet.Thepremisesweresituatedonthefirst
floorofathree-storybuilding,whoseotherfloorshousedtwenty-fourroomsrented
totravelers,guestsandemployees.Fredgotsetupinoneofthem.Oneyearlater,
thebusinesswasprosperousenoughforHarveytoleavehisassociateandvisithis
familyinEngland.Fromthere,hebroughthisfatherandyoungersisterElizaoverto
America.Hereturnedaccompaniedalsobyhisnewwife,atwenty-five-year-oldDutch
namedAnn.Theentirefamilymovedintotheapartmentovertherestaurant.Andyet,
hisfathercouldnotgrowaccustomedtothenewlocationandreturnedtoEngland,
whereashissisterdecidedtostayandmarriedHenryBradley,aBritishimmigrantwho
InFebruary1861,hissonEddiewasborn,andthreemonthslater,Fred’snormal
lifeinSt.Louisashehadknownitwasover.WiththeoutbreakoftheCivilWar,
thecitywasdividedbetweentheUnionandtheConfederacy.OnMay10,thelocal
policetroopsofUnion’ssupportersopenedfireonprotestingcivilians,killingtwen-
ty-eightpeople,includingwomenandchildren.Atthattime,hispartnerDoylestoleall
themoneytheyhadmadetogether(over1.3thousanddollars,whichisabout33thou-
sandintoday’sdollars)andfledtojointheConfederates.Attheageoftwenty-six,Fred
hetookhisfamilyandmovedtoSt.Joseph,whereheacceptedajobofferfromCaptain
RufusFord,aformerclientofhisrestaurantwhoranamaildeliverybusinesswith
steamboatscruisingalongtheMississippiRiver(MissouriRiverPacketCompany).
Manysteamboatshadrestaurantsandbars,andHarveytookcareofthem.Thespecific
climateoftheriverwouldcausenumerousillnesses,though.Freddevelopedtyphus
andwasclosetodeath.Althoughhedidrecover,thediseasecausedlesionsinhis
