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FredHarvey
22
HarveyHouseat
therailwaystationin
Emporia
(Source:Internet)
wouldleadtroublemakersoutthedoorbutallowthemtoreturnoncetheycalmed
down.Hesuccessfullyintroduced,amongothers,therequirementforcustomersto
leavetheirgunsonahangerbeforeenteringthemaindininghallandformentowear
acoatathisrestaurant,whichheprovidedhimselfforthosewhohappenedtogo
ThebossesoftheSantaFeRailwayhadmoreseriousplansforLasVegasthandining
carsoryetanotheroutletatthetrainstation.Theywantedtotakeadvantageofthenew
risingtrendinthehotelindustryandmakemoneyoffofhealthtourism.Thereasonfor
thiswasthediscoveryofhotspringsofhealth-promotingmineralwatersinthevicinity
ofthecity,atthefootoftheSangredeCristoMountains.From1840,whenahospital
andbathhouseswerebuilt,upuntiltheoutbreakoftheCivilWar,thefacilitiesprovided
treatmentstoAmericansoldiers.Theywererelaunchedin1870,thistime,together
withanewhotelcalledtheHotSprings.Oneweekafterthefirsttrainhadarrived
inLasVegas,theAT&SFrailroadcompanyacquiredthehospitalandthehotelwith
theentirelandandthesurroundingbuildingsfor102thousanddollars.Theirintention
wastobuildthefirstluxuryhealthandvacationresort.WithFredHarveysuccessfully
managingtheirdepoteatinghouses,theSantaFeRailwayofferedhimadditionallyto
runtheresortthattheywantedtosetup.Theproject,calledtheHotelMontezuma,was
anenterpriseonanimmensescale.ItwasbuiltinthepopularQueenAnnestyleby
theJerome,Rice,Moore&EmerycompanyfromKansasCityatthecostof300thou-
sanddollars.Thefour-storywood-framebuildinghoused270rooms,arestaurantfor
500people,treatmentrooms,acasino,awinecellar,abowlingalleyandabilliard
room.Moreover,ontheresortpremisesonecouldalsofindaparkwithwalkingtrails,
tenniscourts,anarcheryrangeandevenaminiaturezoo.Thehotelstaffcomprised
employeesbroughtoverfromthebesthotelsofNewYork,Boston,ChicagoandSt.
Louis.TheopeningoftheMontezumatookplaceonApril17,1882,precededbyavisit
