Gee, that's eatin'
May 14, 2016 7:43 AM Subscribe
Judy Garland is quite good in The Harvey Girls, but Angela Lansbury is outstanding.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:54 AM on May 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:54 AM on May 14, 2016 [4 favorites]
Wow - thanks for this! I was just driving through Barstow last weekend and was kind of amazed to see this huge, grand train station (and Casa del Desierto, I now know) in the midst of such desolation.
posted by queensissy at 9:09 AM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by queensissy at 9:09 AM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
What a fascinating story—thanks for the post! This was a minor example of human depravity I hadn't thought of:
On top of the unsavory food options, the rail schedule allowed passengers only 20 minutes at each stop. Unscrupulous entrepreneurs used this to their advantage by charging for meals that weren’t served before the train had to reboard and leave for the next station.posted by languagehat at 10:39 AM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West--One Meal at a Time is a great book on the Harvey Houses.
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 11:54 AM on May 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 11:54 AM on May 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
The Amtrak stop for Santa Fe is located in Lamy, NM where the El Ortiz Hotel was located next to the Rail Station (the hotel was demolished in 1942). The Lamy Railroad and History Museum is located inside the now shuttered Legal Tender Saloon.
I used to help out a friend who set up a lunch counter at the Rail Station to feed the folks on the Amtrak and those riding the Santa Fe Southern tourist train from Santa Fe. He later renovated a 1950's dining car and ran the Lamy Station Cafe for a few years. Sadly, when the economy took a nosedive, most of this closed down. Even Amtrak has talked about closing down the station.
posted by jabo at 2:10 PM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
I used to help out a friend who set up a lunch counter at the Rail Station to feed the folks on the Amtrak and those riding the Santa Fe Southern tourist train from Santa Fe. He later renovated a 1950's dining car and ran the Lamy Station Cafe for a few years. Sadly, when the economy took a nosedive, most of this closed down. Even Amtrak has talked about closing down the station.
posted by jabo at 2:10 PM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
This is great! Thanks for the post. A whole generation of men on my mom's side of the family worked for the Santa Fe in one way or another, so I grew up hearing stories about the Harvey Houses and what a godsend they were for travelers. I never realized the scope of Harvey's vision, though. How thrilling it must have been to step off a hot, crowded train in the middle of the desert and see such a grand (relatively) venue waiting for you!
posted by weebil at 6:24 PM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by weebil at 6:24 PM on May 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by ovvl at 8:41 AM on May 14, 2016 [2 favorites]