The Fred Harvey Company employed male waiters up until 1883. Many waiters came in late and hung over and fought during working hours. Having witnessed such bad behavior, Fred Harvey reportedly fired his entire staff of waiters in 1883 in Raton, New Mexico.
From 1883 on, Fred Harvey only employed women as waitresses. He called them Harvey Girls. He put ads in newspapers across the East Coast and Midwest saying: "White, young women, 18 - 30 years of age, of good character, attractive and intelligent. $17.50 a month plus room, board, gratuity and transportation." That was a good wage at the time.
Come visit The Fred Harvey Museum for more information about The Harvey Girls.
