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New Old Slaton Photographic History

gculver • August 17, 2015

Hello, friends of the Slaton Harvey House.   As our historic building continues to grow and thrive as a bed and breakfast and event facility, we also want our website to expand and grow as a source of history information about Slaton, the Harvey House, the Santa Fe Railway and more.

We have recently received a treasure trove of old photos and will be adding them to our Historic Slaton and Harvey House photo gallery.  Many of these forthcoming are credited to Alton Kenney, who had the foresight to catalog moments from Slaton’s early years.  His family store, O.D. Kenney Auto Parts remains in the family and continues to serve the needs of locals.

For starters, here are a few from around the rail yard.  Many more neat memories to come.  As always, please share your old pics with us at slatonharveyhouse@gmail.com or on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/SlatonHarveyHouse

1954 Slaton Harvey House Sandstorm 1954 Slaton sandstorm over the Harvey House

One of the many troop trains that stopped in Slaton during WWII

1930s Slaton rail yard turntable

The first Slaton Depot, circa 1920’s

Slaton was founded in 1911, after the train station was established. Here is the roundhouse under development in 1910.

Scene from the Slaton Depot, 1955 with names written on. Know anyone here?

Notorious Harvey Girls!

By gculver • April 26, 2018
By Rosa Walston Latimer. The story of the hiring process of the Fred Harvey company is well known.  Harvey’s advertising in women’s magazines and newspapers for “educated women of good character to go West to work” enticed young women to the Kansas City office for a personal interview. If they met Harvey standards  the women […]

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By gculver • February 5, 2018
By Rosa Walston Latimer. Research of Fred Harvey and his inventive approach to business has revealed his contribution of many familiar hospitality-related practices such as the “blue plate” lunch special and requiring men to wear coats in the dining room. However, perhaps the Harvey “way”’s most influential and long-lasting impact is dedication to exemplary customer […]

A Harvey Girl Christmas Story

By gculver • December 22, 2017
By Rosa Walston Latimer.   When the railroad forged its way through the West, it brought Fred Harvey restaurants and hotels with it. Certainly Mr. Harvey had a unique vision and was an astute businessman, as were his sons and grandsons who continued the business after his death in 1901. However, it was the employees, […]

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By gculver • May 25, 2017
by Jessica Kelly Slaton Harvey House April 4, 2017 He is just a little guy, but his dreams are big. Ozzie, his brother, and his parents came to stay at the Slaton Harvey House Bed & Breakfast in September 2016. It was his sixth birthday and, being the train enthusiast he is, spending the night […]

Engine 1809

By gculver • February 27, 2017
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By gculver • November 7, 2016
By Rosa Walston Latimer, Author of Harvey Houses of Texas Visitors to the Slaton Harvey House have an opportunity to experience firsthand one of the lesser known Fred Harvey merchandising successes – the Harvey newsstand. The Slaton newsstand remains intact along the west wall of the area that was once the Harvey lunch room. In […]

The Waitress and The Whaler: A Love Story

By gculver • August 5, 2016
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Waiting for the Train – A Slaton Harvey Girl Love Story

By gculver • June 29, 2016
By Rosa Walston Latimer Rose Heilers sat on the window sill of her second floor bedroom of the Harvey House in Slaton, Texas. She leaned against the glass so she could see further down the railroad track below. Since meeting Bill Farschon, a railroad man, a few months ago this is how she has spent […]

LITTLE RED CABOOSE, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!

By gculver • May 11, 2016
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And then there were six…

By gculver • May 7, 2016
By Rosa Walston Latimer In almost every discussion about Harvey Houses, the question is asked: “Wonder how many are still standing?” When Fred Harvey died in 1901 (at the age of sixty-five) he owned and operated fifteen hotels, forty-seven restaurants, thirty dining cars and a San Francisco Bay ferry. I haven’t found a definitive list […]
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