Harvey Girls
This isn’t a convent—it’s the Harvey House rulebook, and it applied to every woman who signed up to become one of the legendary Harvey Girls. On display at Casa del Desierto in Barstow, this exhibit lists the expectations: no makeup, no jewelry, no men in the dorms, and don’t even think about flirting. But there was freshly squeezed orange juice and polished silverware—always.
The Harvey Girls were part of the Fred Harvey Company, a hospitality empire that partnered with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Beginning in the 1870s, Harvey House restaurants, hotels, and newsstands were established at rail stops across the American West, providing the first standardized, high-quality service for train passengers. The women who worked there weren’t just serving food—they were defining civility and modern hospitality in a rugged, fast-moving world.
📍 Casa del Desierto, Barstow, CA
📸 From a recent photo excursion
SecondFocus Blog 