They arrived on Amtrak on a recent Friday evening and stepped off the train much like Harvey Girls of yore did to provide good food and good service by Fred Harvey.

But these ladies were modern day Harvey Girls from Las Vegas, N.M., who spent the weekend at Winslow’s La Posada Hotel, the last of the great Harvey Houses built in 1930. They were hosted by the Winslow Harvey Girls and explored La Posada, learned its history, visited the Old Trails Museum, Snowdrift Art Gallery and historic downtown shops, and stood on Winslow’s famous corner at Second Street and Kinsley Avenue.

Both the Las Vegas Harvey Girls and the Winslow Harvey Girls are volunteer groups dedicated to preserving the history of the Santa Fe Railroad, Fred Harvey and the ladies who helped civilize the West.

Each is known for a particular era and uniform. The Winslow Harvey Girls dress in 1890s black dresses topped with floor-length white pinafore aprons. The Las Vegas Harvey Girls wear early 1900s black and white ankle-length uniforms complete with a signature white hair bow.

The Fred Harvey System originated in 1876 to meet the needs and comfort of train travelers. Eventually hotels and restaurants were established every 80 to 90 miles along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad that allowed time for the steam locomotives to take on water while passengers detrained to eat. In those days it was rare that women served the public except as nurses, teachers or secretaries. But that was about to change.

It has often been told that in the early 1880s Fred Harvey and his friend Tom Gable made a surprise visit to the Harvey House in Raton, N.M., where the waiters and dining areas were in shambles. Fred Harvey fired them all, including the manager. Gable was given the task of reorganizing. He came up with a very workable solution and presented it to Fred Harvey: hire women. That took place in 1883. It was the beginning of women in the workplace, and it worked well for both the women and Fred Harvey.

The recent visit to Winslow by the Las Vegas Harvey Girls is part of the renewal and appreciation of Fred Harvey hotels and restaurants.

In or near Las Vegas are La Castaneda Hotel built in 1896 and the Montezuma Hotel building now in use by the United World College. Both La Posada and La Castaneda Hotel are owned by Allan Affeldt and Tina Mion Affeldt.

To stay current, today’s advocates and admirers of the Harvey history are called “Fred Heads,” who often pack their bags, hop on a train and enjoy the Fred Harvey experience.