Appetite for America

by Stephen Fried

  “I will bet you two huge”: Hearst to Schweizer, n.d., early 1911, cited in Blomberg, Navajo Textile, p. 12.

  ultimate Fred Harvey oasis: Details on El Tovar are from the company publication El Tovar: Grand Canyon of Arizona, and Berke, Mary Colter, pp. 60–70.

  “to see how the world”: Advertisement in CT, Nov. 26, 1904, p. 11.

  one of his father’s favorite: Background on Charlie Brant is from his obituary, “Charlie Brant Has Gone,” SFMag, Jan. 1922, pp. 23–30.

  “rimming”: Ernest Kolb interview tape is GRCA 36063, transcript, p. 55, NPSGC.

  “Stop your jiggling”: Ibid., p. 51.

  “Reared upon the very brink”: “El Tovar, the Magnificent New Santa Fe Hotel on Brink of Grand Canyon,” LAT, Aug. 18, 1905, p. 116.

  CHAPTER 25: TRAINIACS

  “to let some other man”: “Scott Is Making Up Time,” KCStar, July 10, 1905, p. 5.

  “dude food”: Marshall, Santa Fe, p. 281.

  “Porterhouse Steak”: Onboard menu from L. L. Waters, Steel Trails to Santa Fe, p. 390.

  “An American cowboy”: Marshall, Santa Fe, p. 391.

  “Any man who can cook”: “Scott Is Making Up Time.”

  But in 1905, the nation’s railroads: See Roy and Bonacich, “Interlocking Directorates,” p. 368.

  “private varnish”: Beebe, Mansions on Rails, app. pp. 373–76.

  “It was a great deal to us kids”: Poling-Kempes, Harvey Girls, p. 133.

  “To be ‘nice’”: Ripley to Ford Harvey, Oct. 31, 1913, DHC.

  “are being gradually strangled”: Ripley to Colonel William Nelson (publisher of the KCStar), Oct. 7, 1910, copied to Ford, in HMC.

  Dave Benjamin was in San Francisco: “David Benjamin Telephones Calmly as Earthquake Showers Plaster,” KCJP, March 12, 1933, n.p., HMC.

  “This is about the only time”: “Fought Hard to Save the Ferry,” Washington Post, April 22, 1906, p. 1.

  Ford and Dave put the finishing touches: See “Harvey Agreement,” Jan. 10, 1911; there are copies in DHC and AKC.

  heard he had a girlfriend: Htapes, no. 8, side A.

  “He was a handsome”: Author correspondence with Stewart Harvey Jr.

  personal notes were discovered: Daggett and Ellie Harvey found them, with me, when we went through their Fred Harvey holdings.

  “I want you so”: Judy Harvey to Ford Harvey, Oct. 11, no year, DHC.

  “I will be thinking of you darling”: Judy Harvey to Ford Harvey, n.d., presumably May 1908, Waldorf-Astoria stationery, DHC.

  its best year ever: This according to two sources in JKC, one an income table from 1896–1912, in the Santa Fe collection, file 31, KSHSC; the other from a company ledger for the Harvey Hotel & Restaurant Company.

  CHAPTER 26: KANSAS CITY STARS

  substantial advances: These are documented, along with the rest of the finances of the estate, in the Final Report by Trustees of Fred Harvey Estate, Jan. 26, 1911, p. 3; May had withdrawn $37,400 ($842,000), copy in DHC.

  women should not own stock: Htapes, no. 7, side A.

  lend him the money: “Harvey Agreement,” Jan. 10, 1911, p. 6, DHC.

  which made Dave uncomfortable: This insight comes from an unsigned affidavit prepared by Dave Benjamin in Dec. 1920, a copy of which is in AKC. It appears that when Dave started looking into selling his shares after the war, he found they weren’t valued as high as he thought they should be.

  now bring his Airedale: Htapes, no. 2, side A.

  several of these wannabe firms: “A Fount of Railway Food,” KCStar, Dec. 24, 1911 (n.p., but p. 174 in MVSC bound volume), details the companies.

  “there won’t be any better”: Harry Benjamin to the St. Louis Star, Oct. 20, 1912.

  “Ford is in all things”: IND, July 4, 1914, p. 7.

  From the resort town: See stamps on their immigration document “Legation of the United States of America,” which also details what Dave looked like (Nose: “Long”), which is in AKC (along with photos from the trip).

  “incalculable hardship”: “Six Ships Relieve Crush of Tourists,” NYT, Aug. 2, 1914, p. 3.

  massive humidors: Information on humidors and employees, and long quote about the kitchens in the new station, are from “In Station Cafe, 170 Helpers,” KCStar, Oct. 29, 1914, p. 2.

  “Tell Shep to come here”: “Shepard Smith, a Famous Frisco Engineer for Forty-two Years—Retired June 30,” Frisco Employes’ Magazine, July 1926, p. 8.

  an enterprising journalist later: Jeffrey Spivak explores this in Kansas City Union Station (Kansas City Star Books, 1999), pp. 57–58.

  “many Kansas Citians”: This and other details of opening day are from KCStar coverage, Nov. 2, 1914, p. 22 of the bound clipping volume in MVSC.

  helped create a national best-seller: Marshall, Santa Fe, p. 110.

  CHAPTER 27: NATIONAL PARKING

  “What a bunker”: From coverage of the billionaire special, “Wealth Visits Grand Canyon,” LAT, March 29, 1910, p. 19.

  “It would be exceedingly inappropriate”: Proceedings of the National Parks Conference, 1911, p. 15.

  “Gentlemen, you are not”: Proceedings of the National Parks Conference, 1915, p. 21.

  “wide, safe, dustless”: Quoted in Weigle and Babcock, Great Southwest, p. 18.

  “All classes of people”: Proceedings of the National Parks Conference, 1915, p. 23.

  “For the first class”: Proceedings of the National Parks Conference, 1917, p. 324.

  “We took a Packard”: Ibid., pp. 323–25.

  “In my opinion”: Proceedings of the National Parks Conference, 1915, p. 23.

  “Scenery is a splendid thing”: See Albright and Schenck, Creating the National Park Service, pp. 51 and 54–55.

  “You know how”: Ben Weller, “West We Go: Canyon Country,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, Aug. 30, 1998, p. 1G.

  “From the time a tourist arrives”: “Guides Fight for Customers,” Washington Post, Jan. 7, 1917, p. 8.

  “You can’t imagine”: Grattan, Mary Colter, p. 26.

  “the most palatial”: “Hearst Seeks Senate,” NYT, Feb. 10, 1914, p. 1.

  “variegated vagabondizing”: Twain, Roughing It, p. 28.

  “Down a winding footpath”: Irvin S. Cobb, Roughing It De Luxe (New York: George H. Doran, 1914), pp. 41–44.

  “Europe is Closed”: SFMag, n.d., sometime in early 1915, p. 58, KSHSC.

  budget of more than $160,000: See John Huckel to Schweizer, March 7, 1935, HMC, which includes a breakdown of expenses for San Diego.

  Although the San Diego fair: Much of my recreation of behind the scenes at this fair is based on reporting in Bokovoy, San Diego World’s Fairs.

  “the color of evil”: Post, By Motor to the Golden Gate, p. 165.

  “Stopping at the various Harvey”: Ibid., pp. 160–63.

  over 150,000: Ford actually said 116,000 in his talk, but a forestry official at the canyon said he was only counting those who checked into Harvey establishments and the real number was over 150,000.

  “I have heard personally”: Proceedings of the National Parks Conference, 1917, p. 323.

  “It is true that one finds”: “War Has Taught Americans Who Have Traveled Abroad This Is the Land of the Best,” Atlanta Constitution, Aug. 6, 1916, p. B4.

  CHAPTER 28: DARING YOUNG FREDDY & HIS FLYING MACHINES

  246 “the funny papers”: Freddy Harvey to Ford Harvey, postcard, n.d., etching of Dresden, DHC.

  “I was very frightened”: Shand-Tucci, Crimson Letter, p. 228, describing an interview Townsend did with gay activist Randy Wicker.

  “born flyer”: Noted in Bingham, Explorer in the Air Service, p. 10.

  “We lacked men of experience”: Ibid., p. xii and p. 10.

  “with as much calmness”: IND, Nov. 24, 1911, p. 8.

  “It’s the greatest sport”: “Harvey Flies Here Today,” KCStar, Nov. 18, 1917, p. 3-A.

  “two leather-rigged, behooded”: “Many Watch Big Biplane,” KCT, Nov. 19, 1917, p.
4.

  “very expert bird man”: IND, Nov. 24, 1917, p. 8.

  “The Three Bombardiers”: Collins, Tales of an Old Air-Faring Man, p. 6.

  Ford was summoned: Described by Hines in his memoir, War History of American Railroads, p. 89; also Bryant, History of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, p. 240. This section is also based on McAdoo’s memoir, Crowded Years.

  “proven in federal court”: See Falconer, “Segregation of Delinquent Women and Girls as a War Problem.”

  “one immoral girl”: All material from this study can be found in Purcell-Guild, “Study of One Hundred and Thirty-one Delinquent Girls.”

  “forfeited their claims”: See Additon, “Work Among Delinquent Women and Girls,” p. 152.

  powerful tenor voice: Scene recounted in “Indian’s Song Wins Red Cross Dollars,” KCJP, May 27, 1918, p. 8.

  His squadron’s performance: “New York Hosts Stage Greatest Freedom March,” CT, July 5, 1917, p. 14; and “Airplanes over City Fly in Battle Lines,” NYT, July 5, 1918, p. 20.

  His departure was delayed: Details of Freddy’s medical procedure and the family’s reaction to his orders to ship out are from Ford Harvey to Byron Harvey, Sept. 18, 1918, DHC.

  “Bring out your dead”: Barry, Great Influenza, p. 5.

  “was so greatly appreciated”: Bingham, Explorer in the Air Service, p. 10.

  “How are you”: Dialogue from story in IND, Feb. 22, 1919, p. 8.

  “greatest living railroad man”: “Edw. P. Ripley Dies,” NYT, Feb. 5, 1920, p. 9.

  Arequipa: Description of the estate and its background comes from a LAT real estate listing decades later: Ruth Ryon, “Seeing Action in Beverly Hills,” May 10, 1998, p. K-1.

  “a short siesta”: “Death Call for Edward P. Ripley,” LAT, Feb. 5, 1920, p. 11.

  CHAPTER 29: SOROPTIMISTAS

  “Never in their wildest expectations”: IND, Feb. 15, 1919, p. 4.

  “emptying garbage”: “Society Serves Working Girls,” KCStar, Feb. 6, 1919, p. 1.

  “the newspapers never get hold of”: IND, March 1, 1919, p. 6.

  twelve hundred had reportedly quit: This comes from “A Shortage of Table Girls,” an undated clipping reportedly found in the collection of Flora Alice Steele, a relative of the Harvey personnel manager Alice Steele, according to Stoll, “Harvey Girls Then, Now, and Forever,” p. 71.

  “a girl herself”: This is noted in a profile of Steele: Frances L. Garside, “This Woman Hires All Girls for Fred Harvey Restaurants,” Hartford Courant, May 13, 1923, p. SM6.

  “The girls at a Fred Harvey Place”: This is from a 1905 testimonial written by well-known orator Elbert Hubbard and originally published in his Roycrofters magazine—although later published by the railroad as a promotional piece. It is frequently referred to by historians as “Fred Harvey’s eulogy,” which it was not. In fact, it may have been something of an advertorial since, by that time in his career, Hubbard was taking some commissions for his over-the-top assessments of American phenomena. See Beisner, “‘Commune’ in East Aurora.”

  “Today’s girl is ‘glorifying’”: See the profile of Steele: “Modern Business Girl Less Superficial Than First to Invade Field,” KCJP, Nov. 20, 1927, n.p.

  “A girl who is lonely”: Garside, “This Woman Hires All Girls.”

  “I was dressed real nice”: Stinelichner’s story comes from her quotes in Poling-Kempes, Harvey Girls, p. 82 and p. 94.

  “Silver City Millie”: Background on Millie’s story is from Evans, Madam Millie, pp. 13–24.

  including one who is gay himself: Author correspondence with Arnold Berke.

  clarity about her sexuality: Several living family members confirmed that Kitty was openly gay, especially the one who was closest to her, Byron “Ronny” Harvey III, who spent the most time with her and her girlfriends.

  “Living Reproductions”: Details from “Society in Picture Poses,” KCStar, Sept. 17, 1911.

  She was just a teenager: Many details on the life of Kitty Harvey, who was covered a lot in the society pages for her good works and travels, but almost never for her relationship to the Harvey company, come from the only long story ever published about her, “Publicity Shy Katherine Harvey, After Many Years of Doing Things for City, Now Permanent Resident,” Santa Barbara New Press, Aug. 5, 1951, n.p., file RC39(11)949, HMC.

  “We’ll warm their trousers”: Author interview with Ronny Harvey, Sept. 2, 2004, for this and the quotations about Kitty and Mary Perkins below.

  linking him romantically: Information about the Drage family comes from myriad small stories in the Kansas City social newspaper, IND (most of which don’t have titles, but just run as items), and a profile of Betty’s mother, Lucy Christie Drage, in the KCStar on Sept. 22, 1929, p. 34 in the MVSC newspaper archive for that year.

  “the rumor of pretty little Betty”: IND, April 15, 1922, p. 4.

  “got as far as the door”: IND, April 29, 1922, p. 4.

  “failed to cure”: IND, July 1, 1922, p. 3.

  “magnificent, with few duplicates”: Report on the gifts and the thank-you notes is in IND, Sept. 9, 1922, p. 8.

  “the big white stork”: IND, Feb. 10, 1923, p. 3.

  CHAPTER 30: THE ROAR OF THE TWENTIES

  If you were a close friend: These parties were documented in a letter from Freddy’s friend Frank Baker to Daggett Harvey Sr., March 1, 1976, DHC.

  two silent pictures: Plot analysis of these two hard-to-see silent films comes from Leah Dilworth’s provocative essay “Discovering Indians in Fred Harvey’s Southwest,” in Weigle and Babcock, Great Southwest, p. 159.

  “The biggest thrill”: Quoted in Poling-Kempes, Harvey Girls, p. 127.

  “All the girls knew who he was”: Opal Sells Hill, quoted in Ibid., p. 142.

  “What’s that Carole Lombard is wearing”: “On the Side with E. V. Durling,” LAT, Oct. 2, 1938.

  “Diamond-Studded Toothbrush”: The clipping—which is undated but presumably from the early fall of 1924, is in DHC, along with the exasperated letter that Ford wrote to Byron about it on Oct. 2, 1924.

  company’s bizarre battle: Details of Campbell Russell’s crusade against Fred Harvey’s jacket rule come primarily from coverage in the hometown Daily Oklahoman on Sept. 4 and 28, 1921, and the national coverage it generated (clippings of most of which are in HMC).

  “discrimination”: “State Commission Decrees Men May Eat Minus Coats,” Washington Post, Sept. 16, 1921, p. 3.

  “Women do as they please”: “Man in Shirt Sleeves,” CT, Sept. 17, 1921, p. 6.

  “snobbery from England”: “The Weekly Grouch,” Frederick (Okla.) Press, Sept. 29, 1921, n.p. 276 “ruthless warfare”: Daily Oklahoman, Sept. 4, 1921, p. 7.

  “take all the dogs”: Hominy News, Sept. 30, 1921.

  “Unlike the lower animals”: Fred Harvey et al. v. Corporation Commission, 1924 OK 716, 229, p. 428, 102 Okla. 266, case number 12963, decided Sept. 16, 1924, Supreme Court of Oklahoma.

  even historic Delmonico’s closed: For details on these closings, see “Delmonico’s Ends Its Long Career,” NYT, May 20, 1923, p. 1; and John Walker Harrington, “Death Marks the Cabarets,” NYT, June 3, 1923, p. XX2.

  locked away or sold off: Author interview with Stewart Harvey Jr.

  innovate with food: For background on how food service changed during Prohibition, see Drowne and Huber, 1920s, esp. pp. 129–35; Hogan, Selling ’Em by the Sack: and Langdon, Orange Roofs, Golden Arches.

  “They’re coming tonight”: Advertisement in LAT, April 17, 1902, p. 5.

  seven thousand employees: Noted by Ford in undated manuscript, presumably written in the early 1920s, apparently for American Magazine, UA, box 3, file 16, p. 3, HMC.

  “I would rather be Alfred”: From obituary, KCStar, Dec. 14, 1924, pp. 111–12 of MVSC bound volume.

  head off to the local airfield: As he did in El Paso on June 21, 1922, as reported the next day in the El Paso Times in “Fred Harvey ‘Hops Off in Army Plane for Sightse
eing Trip of El Paso Shortly After Arrival” (which also noted that when he and Betty had dinner, the hotel orchestra “announced the naming of the ‘Fred Harvey fox trot’ in his honor and the restaurant baron was presented with an author’s copy of the piece”).

  Byron had received a patent: It was patent number 1,491,234, issued April 22, 1924; a year later, he also patented a “Transcontinental Car,” which was a club car with a central serving area allowing for separate first-class and tourist-class “lounging comfort,” which was patent number 1,523,642. The scale model was described in author correspondence with Stewart Harvey Jr.

  CHAPTER 31: SANTA FATED

  “City Different”: Tobias and Woodhouse, Santa Fe, p. 178.

  R. Hunter Clarkson: The story of Clarkson and the beginnings of the Santa Fe operation are detailed in Thomas’s obsessive Southwestern Indian Detours.

  first practical process for freezing food: After Clarence Birdseye tried to get Fred Harvey and other companies to try his frozen concoctions, his company went bankrupt and was reorganized; it was later bought by the Postum conglomerate, which changed its name to the one Clarence had been using, General Foods.

  shop for a suitable hotel: Noted in an unpublished family history by the historian Bertha Dutton, who also sat on the board of the Fred Harvey art trust, p. 25, LCHSC.

  “Pullmans on wheels”: Ibid.

  Before departing: Judy Harvey’s ill-fated trip to Detour country is recreated from “Death Comes Suddenly to Mrs. Harvey,” Santa Fe New Mexican, July 22, 1926; “Late Mrs. Ford Harvey Was Daughter of Pioneer of Kansas; Bishop’s Tribute,” Santa Fe New Mexican, July 24, 1926; and “Mrs. Ford F. Harvey Dies,” KCStar, July 22, 1926 (n.p., all from corporate clipping file in HMC).

  to visit the Puye Cliff Dwellings: Published reports did not name the precise location they were visiting when Judy got sick, just that it was “an Indian Village forty miles from Santa Fe.” Puye, which was on the Indian Detours, is the most likely site.