The Santa Fe Line and the famous Fred Harvey restaurants forever changed New Mexico and the Southwest, bringing commerce, culture and opportunity to a desolate frontier. The first Harvey Girls ever hired staffed the Raton location. In a departure from the ubiquitous black and white uniform immortalized by Judy Garland in 1946's Harvey Girls, many of New Mexico's Harvey Girls wore colorful dresses reflective of local culture. In Albuquerque, the Harvey-managed Alvarado Hotel doubled as a museum for carefully curated native art. Join author Rosa Walston Latimer and discover New Mexico's unique history of hospitality the "Fred Harvey way."

The Fred Harvey name will forever be associated with the high-quality restaurants, hotels, and resorts situated along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway in the American Southwest. The Fred Harvey Company surprised travelers, who were accustomed to "dingy beaneries" staffed with "rough waiters," by presenting attractive, courteous servers known as the Harvey Girls. Today many Harvey Houses serve as museums, offices, and civic centers throughout the Southwest. Only a few Harvey Houses remain as first-class hotels, and they are located at the Grand Canyon, in Winslow, Arizona, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A look at the memorable chain of restaurants and hotels and its place in New Mexico’s history. The Santa Fe Line and the famous Fred Harvey restaurants forever changed New Mexico and the Southwest, bringing commerce, culture, and opportunity to a desolate frontier. The first Harvey Girls ever hired staffed the Raton location. In a departure from the ubiquitous black and white uniform immortalized by Judy Garland in 1946’s TheHarvey Girls, many of New Mexico’s Harvey Girls wore colorful dresses reflective of local culture. In Albuquerque, the Harvey-managed Alvarado Hotel doubled as a museum for carefully curated native art. Join author Rosa Walston Latimer and discover New Mexico’s unique history of hospitality the “Fred Harvey way.”

The story of the pioneering women who worked as waitresses at Fred Harvey's restaurants along the railway from the 1880s through the 1950s.

As the 19th century drew to a close, luxurious train travel was the way to go in America. The Santa Fe Railroad was the first line to become interested in more than just providing a way to cross the country. When Fred Harvey joined forces with the railroad, Harvey Houses sprang up across the country offering good food and plush accommodations. But cars, planes, and motels changed the travel picture, and La Posada was the last Harvey House the railroad built. The hotel was the ultimate in elegance and offered the best that Mary Colter could bring to the table. Winslow's downtown, blessed by the success of Route 66 prospered. But when Interstate 40 crossed the country the was town was gutted and almost went under. The Winslowans, however, still had two advantages. One was La Posada, and the other was a small group of local people who were willing to go to work to save the town. Guided by serendipity, and with luck on their side, the people of Winslow proved that miracles can happen. It is a David and Goliath story, and David won this round.

Bestselling novelist Tracie Peterson joins Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, and Jen Turano in this collection of four novellas, each featuring a Harvey Girl heroine. From Kansas to Texas, the Grand Canyon to New Mexico, the stories cross the country with tales of sweet romance and entertaining history. In Karen Witemeyer's "More Than a Pretty Face," a young woman works her hardest to escape poor choices from her youth. Tracie Peterson offers "A Flood of Love," where reuniting with an old flame after more than a decade offers unexpected results. Regina Jennings's "Intrigue a la Mode" delights with a tale of a young woman determined to help support her family, despite warnings of danger nearby. And Jen Turano's "Grand Encounters" heads to the Grand Canyon with a tale of a society belle intent on finding a new life for herself.