Valuing food quality as much as quality service, Harvey Houses changed the culture of western railroad towns. After Fred Harvey’s death in 1901, sons Ford and Byron expanded the family business along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail lines. El Tovar opened in 1905 on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, signaling the arrival of the iconic brand to Arizona. New railroad depots and Harvey establishments reminiscent of the Spanish Colonial–Indian pueblo style of architecture followed. Well-paid European chefs trained every kitchen, and waitresses hailed from every walk of life. Author Rosa Walston Latimer celebrates hospitality the “Fred Harvey way” through the personal stories of the famous Harvey Girls and staff of luxury Harvey hotels in Ash Fork, Seligman, Williams, Winslow and beyond.
Rosa Walston Latimer is a writer, playwright and award-winning photographer. Inspired by her Harvey Girl grandmother, this is Latimer’s fourth book on the Harvey legacy. Her research has appeared in Texas Highways and was used in a staged play based on her grandmother’s story. She is currently working on a book about historic hotels of Las Vegas, New Mexico.