TMW Media
The Model for Airline Hospitality
The Harvey Girls gained widespread attention in the 1930s, capturing Hollywood's interest and inspiring the 1946 MGM musical starring Judy Garland. This newfound fame not only highlighted their role in American hospitality but also...
TMW Media
How La Fonda Hotel Shaped the Hospitality Industry in the American Southwest
Hear from one of the Harvey Girls who worked from 1941 to 1948, as she recalls her experience working in one of the premier Harvey Houses. Trained in multiple styles of service, she felt more like an ambassador than just a waitress,...
TMW Media
New Financial Opportunities for Women During World War II
During World War II, the Fred Harvey Company opened its doors to Latina and Native American women to become Harvey Girls, breaking previous racial barriers. The war provided these women with new opportunities and independence, allowing...
TMW Media
A Job Opportunity for Women During the Great Depression
During the Great Depression, the Fred Harvey Company and the railroad managed to survive by closing smaller train stations, focusing their resources on larger city locations. Despite the economic challenges, the company continued to hire...
TMW Media
How the Harvey Girls Came to Santa Fe
New Mexico in the 1880s was considered the wildest part of the Wild West, filled with bustling railroad towns, gamblers, cowboys, and tensions, particularly due to racism after the Civil War. After a big brawl in one of their...
TMW Media
Fred Harvey: the Man Who Revolutionized Railroad Dining
In 1853, Fred Harvey, a 17-year-old immigrant from England, began his American journey in New York as a busboy. After facing personal and professional setbacks, including losing his first business and family, he persevered, eventually...
TMW Media
End of the Harvey Girls Era in a Changing America
With the rise of Route 66 and the popularity of motels, the Fred Harvey Company faced declining interest in its hotels. In response, the company adapted by expanding its restaurant chain along highways and bus stations. Despite these...
TMW Media
A Vision for Grand Canyon Hospitality
After Fred Harvey's death, his son Ford Harvey and other company leaders frequently made surprise visits to Harvey House locations to maintain quality standards. Ford Harvey played a crucial role in expanding the business, recognizing...
TMW Media
The Female Architect Who Transformed Railroad Travel
In the late 1800s, the Fred Harvey Company hired Mary Coulter as their chief designer and architect, a groundbreaking role for a woman at the time. Coulter brought innovation and creativity to her projects, such as La Posada in Winslow,...
TMW Media
The Harvey Girls: Pioneers of American Women in the Workforce
Long before the feminist movement for equal workplace rights, over 100,000 women known as the Harvey Girls traveled west to work as waitresses along the transcontinental railroads. These women played a significant role in opening up the...
Institute for New Economic Thinking
Exploring New Economic Space | #6 | Venture Capital in the 21st Century
What is the relationship between core general purpose technologies (e.g. steam engine, electricity, computers) and the sectors to which they are applied (e.g. railways, radio communications, e-commerce)? There is positive feedback...
The March of Time
1947: YOUNG CONFERENCE: CU Sign 'Transportation Building.' INT WS Industrialist Robert R. Young in conference talking w/ reporters. MS Reporters writing. REPRISAL: CU Young '...restore courtesy, efficiency & earning power to the American railroads...'
MOT 1947: YOUNG CONFERENCE: CU Sign 'Transportation Building.' INT WS Industrialist Robert R. Young in conference talking w/ reporters. MS Reporters writing. REPRISAL: CU Young '...restore courtesy, efficiency & earning power to the...
Crash Course
The Industrial Economy
Delve into the nitty-gritty of American industrialization in the decades after the Civil War, a period which saw the introduction of a national currency, dramatic population and economic growth, and the birth of the first modern...
Have Fun With History
Have Fun With History: America's Trains & Railroads
After 76 years, Manhattan's Third Avenue Elevated Railroad line was dismantled. Students and teachers can find information on America's trains and railroads and the impact they had on history.
Have Fun With History
Have Fun With History: Allegheny Portage Railroad
The history of the Allegheny Portage Railroad in the westward movement of settlers and commerce in central Pennsylvania in the mid-1800's.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights Before Civil War Pt. 9: Corruption in State Governments
State governments proved to be corruptible early in American history with the advent of the railroad.