Even though dating was strictly chaperoned, most Harvey Girls met their future husbands while working in a Harvey House. To further complicate matrimonial aspirations, in the early years at least, the young women were required to sign a contract with Fred Harvey stating they would not marry until they had worked at least six months. Married women could not work as Harvey Girls. By far the majority of the “educated women of good character” who came west to work for Mr. Harvey soon married and continued to live many years in the towns where they had once proudly worn the black and white uniform. Fannie Belle Green’s story clearly illustrates the long-term influence Harvey Girls had on their communities. My primary source for this story is the transcript of an interview with Fannie found in the archives of the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Fannie Belle Green came to Slaton, Texas with the railroad. She had been a Harvey Girl at the Vaughn, New Mexico Harvey House before transferring to Slaton in 1912 to help establish the new Santa Fe division point. Living in the dormitory-style residence of Harvey Houses must have seemed particularly luxurious to Fannie. She was born in far northeast Texas, but her family soon moved north into Indian Territory (the area now the state of Oklahoma) where their home was a half-dugout on the flat prairie. By the early 1900s, her father relocated his large family to remote Encino, New Mexico, where he worked as a carpenter. A female railroad agent at Vaughn, fifteen miles away, persuaded Fannie, her sister and a cousin to become Harvey Girls.
Although a remote railroad town, Vaughn had its share of excitement with many trains passing through each day. Charles Lindbergh made an emergency landing in the desolate New Mexico desert and stayed at the Harvey House while waiting for airplane parts. However, Fannie was pleased when she was offered a transfer to the new Slaton, Texas Harvey House. Life was sure to be more exciting in the new railroad town with more railroaders and fewer rowdy cowboys.
Serving customers in a Harvey House was a natural fit for Fannie. At age seven, when her mother became ill, Fannie cooked and served her first meal to men who were helping with the harvest. Although a chef and kitchen staff handled food preparation in the Harvey House, in Slaton, Fannie and the other four waitresses on the day shift were responsible for keeping Harvey coffee freshly made. The Harvey Girls had to memorize orders and pass them on to the cooks who committed them to memory and rang a bell when the food was ready. A notepad kept in an apron pocket was used only to total the cost of each meal for the cashier.
The day shift began at 7:00 every morning and, after serving passengers from three trains plus railroad employees and local diners, ended at 6:00 p.m. A normal workday allowed for a two-hour break in the afternoon and unless there was a shortage of Harvey Girls, everyone was allowed one day off each week.
Fannie’s social life may have been tame by some Harvey Girl standards. During her afternoon break or after her evening shift, she usually went to the Santa Fe Reading Room next door to the Harvey House. The Reading Room provided a quiet place for train passengers and railroad employees to relax. Fannie enjoyed reading newspapers from across the United States as well as current, best-selling novels that were always available. As Fannie strolled across the brick promenade to the Reading Room, she began to take notice of Joe Teague Jr., the night ticket agent, as he walked to work each evening. Soon Joe started to come to work early so there was some time to talk to Fannie, and they coordinated their time off from work was as often as possible.
Fannie’s Harvey Girl career ended in 1915 when she and Joe married. The couple continued to live in Slaton, and Joe and Fannie, along with their extended family, were strong leaders who made a positive impact on their community and church for many years. The Teague family established the Teague Confectionary that was later named Teague Drug. The store remained a center of commerce and community socialization on the downtown square in Slaton until 1987.
Former Slaton, TX Harvey Girl Fannie Greene Teague c. 1990
Young Fannie Greene had no idea what lay ahead when she left the established Las Chaves Harvey House and Hotel in Vaughn, New Mexico to move to the upstart railroad town of Slaton, Texas to open the Harvey House. Perhaps she received a raise in wages, and perhaps she was merely looking for her next adventure!
Rosa Walston Latimer is the author of a series of books about Harvey Houses available on Rosa Walston Latimer is the author of a series of books about Harvey Houses available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or Book People, an Austin independent bookstore.
This story was originally published at SlatonHarveyHouse.com.