Alvarado Hotel Lunchroom with Harvey Girls (Courtesy of the Albuquerque Museum collection)

Researched and Written by Pam Stiebler-Wendt
Edited by Susan Schwartz, Jolene Ellerton, and Lori Mann
Date: September 4, 2025

In the 1870s and 1880s, the railroads were expanding at a rapid rate as they pushed across the country. People were using trains to immigrate to free land or the wealthy for vacations. These people complained about the prices, poor service, and poor-quality food. The Santa Fe Railroad was particularly bad. Many of the train passengers were telling their friends not to travel on the Santa Fe Railroad. The owners of the Santa Fe railroad had to solve this problem as soon as possible. The Santa Fe owners reached out to Fred Harvey, an English immigrant who was running a highly successful restaurant along the tracks in Topeka, Kansas. Fred Harvey believed train travel should have elegance in dining. On a handshake, the Santa Fe Railroad and Fred Harvey made a business agreement. The railroad would build hotels and restaurants along its route in the Southwest, and Harvey would run these establishments. The Santa Fe railroad built these hotels and restaurants within a month of laying tracks to a particular town. By 1887, twentyfour of these hotels and restaurants had been built and were run by Fred Harvey. The Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was Harvey’s flagship establishment of the whole chain.

The Santa Fe owners reached out to Fred Harvey, an English immigrant who was running a highly successful restaurant along the tracks in Topeka, Kansas. Fred Harvey believed train travel should have elegance in dining. On a handshake, the Santa Fe Railroad and Fred Harvey made a business agreement. The railroad would build hotels and restaurants along its route in the Southwest, and Harvey would run these establishments. The Santa Fe railroad built these hotels and restaurants within a month of laying tracks to a particular town. By 1887, twentyfour of these hotels and restaurants had been built and were run by Fred Harvey. The Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was Harvey’s flagship establishment of the whole chain.

The agreement was not without problems, but Harvey’s ability to adjust to the times and place, hard work, and high standards made this arrangement a success. One of the early problems was the male waiters who couldn’t seem to live up to Harvey’s high standards. He fired all of them. This was the beginning of the legend of the Harvey Girls.

ALVARADO HOTEL

Fred Harvey ran ads in several rural Midwestern newspapers. The ad stated that he was looking for girls between the ages of 18 and 30 of good moral character, attractive, and intelligent. Wages were $17.50 per month, plus tips and free room and board. They had thousands of applicants. There were many reasons. The two most obvious reasons were to see the world beyond the prairie and to find a husband. Each applicant was interviewed by one of Harvey’s female employees. One former Harvey Girl stated in an interview that the interview process was more rigorous than enlisting in the army. Harvey had a high standard for the girls, which made him and them successful. Harvey Girls were legendary for their elegance and excellent service. If the applicant was accepted, she went through a rigorous six-week training course. In the training, they were taught proper manners, how to set a table properly, and how to serve the customers. Unmarried girls were required to live in a dorm with other Harvey girls. These dorms were usually located next to the train depot, as the girls worked long hours and often had split shifts. There were two girls to a room with a common bathroom. The dorms also had a matron who saw to it that the rules were followed. One of Harvey’s rules was that the girls could not date customers. This rule must have been overlooked, as many of these girls married customers. In fact, many men who were looking for a bride sought out the Harvey Girls because of their reputation. All the Harvey girls were required to wear a uniform that included a black dress, white apron, black shoes, and hose, and white ribbons in their hair. Each morning, they had to pass inspection for perfection in their appearance. If they did not pass, they were sent back to their room to correct the problem before they could step on the dining floor.

If the applicant was accepted, she went through a rigorous six-week training course. In the training, they were taught proper manners, how to set a table properly, and how to serve the customers. Unmarried girls were required to live in a dorm with other Harvey girls. These dorms were usually located next to the train depot, as the girls worked long hours and often had split shifts. There were two girls to a room with a common bathroom. The dorms also had a matron who saw to it that the rules were followed. One of Harvey’s rules was that the girls could not date customers. This rule must have been overlooked, as many of these girls married customers. In fact, many men who were looking for a bride sought out the Harvey Girls because of their reputation. All the Harvey girls were required to wear a uniform that included a black dress, white apron, black shoes, and hose, and white ribbons in their hair. Each morning, they had to pass inspection for perfection in their appearance. If they did not pass, they were sent back to their room to correct the problem before they could step on the dining floor.

Many of the former Harvey Girls felt that their employment as a Harvey Girl was a defining moment in their lives. They were extremely proud of the job they had done. The Harvey girls certainly provided elegance to rail travel during the early part of the 20th century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
Images of America Series
Fred Harvey Houses of the Southwest
Richard Melzer, PhD – retired University of New Mexico Professor
Arizona Historical Foundation Pages 7-14
Photos courtesy of the Albuquerque Museum Photoarchives

PA1982.180.223 Alvarado Hotel, ca. 1930, Albuquerque Museum, gift of John Airy This image depicts the exterior of the Fred Harvey Indian Building at the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Several Native American vendors line either side of the sidewalk selling their goods to the newly arrived visitors. Visitors can be seen walking past the vendors in the foreground and midground.

PA1982.180.247 Alvarado Hotel, ca. 1930, Albuquerque Museum, gift of John Airy This image depicts the exterior of the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico as seen from across the tracks in front of the hotel. The several sets of train tracks can make up a majority of the foreground. The tracks, the train platform, and the hotel all have no pedestrians in or around them. The hotel itself can be seen in the background.

PA1982.180.251 Alvarado Hotel, ca. 1930, Albuquerque Museum, gift of John Airy This image depicts the exterior view of the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico as seen from the railroad tracks. The entrance to the Fred Harvey Indian Room can be seen near the center of the frame. Two Native American people can be seen sitting on the walkway that leads to the Indian Room. The two are huddled in plaid blankets with a row of pottery in front of them. The tracks take up a majority of the foreground. Several large chunks of snow have been piled in a row along the tracks. A single telephone pole can be seen in front of the hotel.

PA1982.180.278 Alvarado Hotel Lunchroom, ca. 1920 Albuquerque Museum, gift of John Airy This image depicts the interior of the Alvarado Hotel lunchroom in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Several wooden tables and chairs can be seen dotted around the foreground of the image. The floor is made of tile. In the background, the counter in the center of the room has several cases of food on it. Women wearing white aprons over dark dresses, the Harvey Girl uniform, are standing behind the counter