The Harvey Girls - Women's Roles in Railroads, Kansas & U.S. History

Hear stories of women employed by The Fred Harvey Company whose founder opened his first lunchroom depot along the railroad line in Topeka. This program is made possible by Humanities Kansas.

Program presented by Dr. Michaeline Chance-Reay, professor emeritus of Women's Studies and Education at Kansas State University. The mythology of the Harvey Girl looms large in Kansas history and across the western United States. The Fred Harvey Company, concessionaire along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, offered young women employment opportunities as waitresses and tour guides. These women played a role in the economic and cultural history of Kansas and the American Southwest.