HEMET HERITAGE FOUNDATION: PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (December 26, 2024)

For Additional Information Contact:
Bob Chaparro
BobChaparro@TheHemetMuseum.org

Hemet Heritage Foundation January 13 Presentation — “The Harvey Girls: Civilizers of the Wild West”.

In the beginning the Harvey Girls defined hospitality in the Wild West of the 1880s. They were young, single, intelligent women who were also of “good character,” and had the sort of sense of adventure that propelled them to unknown territory to work as waitresses. The Harvey Girls were described as one of the first workforces made up of all women in the Southwest, serving as most of the staff employed at the Fred Harvey Company’s hotels and railroad restaurants along the route of the Santa Fe Railway.

The Harvey Girls were famous for their impeccable service. Training was meticulous, and there were strict rules to guide them. The Fred Harvey Company provided room and board, but the women always had to follow strict curfews and protocols.

Their legacy helped to make travel in the West a lot more enjoyable by serving tasty meals in pleasant surroundings and bringing a touch of graciousness to a mostly unsettled land.

This legacy inspired a 1946 Technicolor musical film, The Harvey Girls, based on the 1942 novel of the same name. The film featured Judy Garland and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe”.

Our speakers will be Ellen Fishburn and Lynne Miller of the Harvey Girl Historical Society, located at the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris.

Ellen is a great railway fan and serves as the Secretary of the Heritage Railway Association. Lynne’s interest in the Harvey Girls is the result of her involvement in the California Historic Route 66 Association.

This presentation will take place on Monday evening, January 13. Doors open at 6:00 pm and the presentation begins at 6:30.

Location:
Memorial Funeral Services
1111 South State Street in Hemet.
Southwest corner of State & Stetson, directly across from McDonalds on Stetson.

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