Blast from the Past

A piece of Kansas City history came to life last night at the Waldo Community Library. Bonnie Hansen attended cleverly disguised as one of the original Harvey Girl waitresses of Harvey House fame.

Bonnie Hansen models a traveling dress a Harvey Girl might have worn

She did three quick changes. First, out of her traveling dress, then into the approved Harvey Girl uniform, finally, Hansen put on the Grand Canyon Harvey Girl costume (which is certainly suitable to wear today, see below).

 For each vintage period costume change, Ms. Hansen would explain the significance of the dress, the origin of the Harvey waitresses, their rigorous interview process and job expectations, and daily working conditions in one of the Fred Harvey restaurants. Not that many of the young women stayed employed long enough to get into the routine.

Bonnie Hansen dons the Grand Canyon tour companion dress worn by some Harvey Girls

Since Fred Harvey only hired wholesome, educated, friendly, single young women, they didn’t stay that way for long. Single, that is. Miners, farmers, cattle barons, all were looking for a few good women to help them settle down and settle the West. Fred Harvey must have had every employment agency on the East Coast on speed dial.

Ms. Hansen is a fashion historian and owner/founder of  Vintage Nouveau: Fashions from the Past. She collects a variety of vintage clothing from different time periods in American history and has served as an expert costume consultant for the film industry.

The second half of the evening was narrated by Tom Taylor, Manager of Community Relations at Unity Village and avid Kansas City historian. Mr. Taylor has a special connection with the Harvey Restaurant in Union Station. His grandfather was one of the Union Station carpenters and did some work for the Harvey Restaurant. Young Tom would listen eagerly to the stories his grandfather would tell and made numerous trips to Union Station to see the people and places for himself.

Tom Taylor talks about the Harvey family history and their restaurant empire

 In addition to an extensive slide show of Harvey Restaurants, Mary Colter, Fred Harvey, and some local Harvey Girls, Mr. Taylor brought along pieces from his collection of Harvey House memorabilia and railroad china.

It was an SRO crowd in Waldo last night as everyone revisted a colorful bit of Kansas City and Union Station history.

The Harvey House beverage code