The Harvey Girls and a culinary revolution

They were a staple alongside railroad lines across the United States, serving up meals to passengers in what became the first restaurant chain. Founded in 1876, Harvey Houses became renowned for the Harvey Girls, the waitresses who were said to have “tamed the American West,” and which inspired a hit MGM musical starring Judy Garland. Michelle Miller looks at the history of the Harvey Girls, whose impact was felt “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.”