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FredHarvey
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thecrewofSantaFetrainsthatstoppedinTopekaondailybasis.Withahandshake,
thetwomensealedthedeal(aswrittencontractswerenotinusebackthen).InJanuary
1876,havingturnedtheestablishmentupsidedown,FredHarveyopenedthefirst
lunchroomatthetrainstationinTopekaunderthenametheHarveyHouseincooper-
ationwiththeSantaFeRailway.ItsfirstmanagerwasGuyPotter,atrustedlong-time
employee.Thenewfacilityattractedtheattentionofthelocalpressrightaway.“Itis
theneatest,cleanestdininghallintheState,everythingbran[sic]new.Thecrockery,
cutleryandsilver-wareofthechoicestpatterns,andthetablesuppliedinthebest
ofstyle.Itwasluxurytosetdowntosuchatable.Amanwhotakessuchpainsto
servethepublicoughttoberewardedwithliberalpatronage.”wroteTheLeavenworth
passengers,butalsoontheresidentsofthetown.
FredwasamanageratTopekafornearlytwoyears.Throughoutthatperiodheran
histhreedinersforKansasPacificandsoldfreightofvariousrailroadcompanies.He
wasdoingfineinhisprivatelife,too;hisfourthchild,sonByronSchermerhorn(named
afterhisdearfriend)wasborn.TheAT&SFrailroadexpandedaggressivelywestwards
intheU.S.atanincreasingpace.Harveyfoundthattobetheperfectmomentfornego-
tiatingtheacquisitionofmorefacilitiesinKansas.HestartedwithFlorence,whichwas
aparticularmagnetforhuntingandfishingenthusiasts.Themostimportantrestaurant
withahotelthatwasonthetrainpathwaslocatedthere.Thetakeoveroftheentire
buildingwasacomplicatedissue,asitalreadyhadanowner,alocalentrepreneur.
TheSantaFeRailwaycouldbuyitout,butbackthen,allthefundswerespenton
newtracksinColorado.Atthatmoment,Harveyplayedvabanque.Rightoutofhis
ownpocket,hepaid5275dollarsforthebuilding,atthesametimeacceptingCharlie
Moore’spromisethattherailroadcompanywouldpaythecapitalinvestedinthefacility
backandallowhimtorunitonthesamerulesappliedinTopekaoncethecompany’s
financialconditionimproved.
In1878,havingtakenovertheestablishmentinFlorence,Freddecidedtomake
amoreambitiousstep,namely,toconvertitintoaneleganthotelwithasuperbrestau-
rant.Tothisend,heneededacelebritychef,sohebroughtoverWilliamH.Phillipsof
thefamousPalmerHouseinChicago.Hepromisedhimhighsalaryandfreedomin
creatinghisownimage.Together,theyimplementednewstandardsthatHarveyplanned
toconquertheWestwith.TheyimportedIrishtableclothsfromBelfast,porcelainfrom
LondonandsilverplattersfromSheffield.Theycreatedanewmenuwithmostitems
onitbeingfishandwildgamedishes,whereastheproductsnecessaryformaking
thesecourseswerepurchasedfromlocalfishermen,huntsmenandfarmers.Soonafter,
thehotelinFlorenceearnedhighacclaim.Bothguestroomsandtableswerebookedall
thetime.Thepersonnelofthetrainsthatstoppedtherefivetimesadaywouldtelegraph
therestaurantstafftoconveythenumberofpassengerswhoplannedtodine.Thisway,
itwaspossibletoprepareseatsatthetablesandthemealstheyorderedbeforehand.
