Page 38 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2021- Online Magazine

Local
SLATON'S History

HISTORIC

HARVEY HOUSE

by Ron Cox

f you enjoy history and would would be served on tables with
like to time travel, you could fine white linen. The tables were
Istay at the historic Slaton Harvey set with fine china and silver
House Bed and Breakfast, visit their flatware. The railroad brought
museum, or hold an event there. fresh fruit and flowers from
The Slaton Harvey House opened California and steaks from Kansas
in 1912. The Harvey Girls served City. The meals were delicious
first class meals to passengers on the and elegantly served, but the Looking north at the Slaton Harvey
House. Active BNSF Railway train sits a
Santa Fe Railroad. It was a special travelers had to eat fast. They few feet from the front patio
era. only had twenty minutes to dine!
President Taft was running for a
Train travel was popular back A lot was going on in 1912: British second term. Former President
then, but there was no decent food explorer, Robert Falcon Scott, Teddy Roosevelt was running
service for the travelers until Fred reached the South Pole in January, for an unprecedented third term.
Harvey began his chain of Harvey only to learn that Norwegian Although Roosevelt had selected
Houses in 1876. He hired educated explorer, Roland Amundsen, had Taft as his successor in 1908, he was
young women of good character. reached it the month before. Scott disappointed in Taft’s performance.
They dressed in black blouses and his men died on the return. Then, there was this Democrat,
with starched, white aprons. The New Mexico became the 47th state Woodrow Wilson.
travelers loved them. in January; Arizona became the 48th
state in February. The RMS Titanic Slaton was created as a division
Customers would select their meals hit an iceberg in April. It sank, with point on the Santa Fe Railroad in
en route, and the orders would the loss of more than 1500 lives. It 1911. This is where the engineer
be telegraphed ahead. The meals was an election year. Republican who drove the train and the
conductor who was the guy in
charge would stop and trade with
the next crew. They had worked
the train from Sweetwater, Texas,
or Clovis, New Mexico. At one
time, there was a passenger depot,
a roundhouse, and a reading room
where train crews could relax while
waiting for their next shift. It still
is a five-track rail yard. The track
closest to the Harvey House is the
BNSF mainline. I love to look out
the back windows and watch the
elegant orange and yellow diesel
engines roar by, hauling 100 to
A map of all Fred Harvey Locations along
the Santa Fe Railway in the early 1900s. 200 freight cars. This brings back

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