The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-09-22
|EAl D4'F0RTlJhE;
RESULT 81 INTRO 81
\ OYSTER TO WASHINGTON. s'>
From Humble Beginnings Harvey
Brothers Built UP Restaurant :
>: in Capital known, to All
a. Good Eivers. - - :

~ Good L1vers. - ,
The steamed oyster was the founda
ton of the success of Harvey's res
taurant in the national capital. In
1856 the late Thomas M. Harvey and
his brother George w. Harvey, the
latter then only, Is years of age, start
ed small eating house in an old
blacksmith shop at the corner OF
Eleventh and G streets. It was di.
rectly opposite the Carusi theater,
the then famous playhouse of Wash:
ington. They remodeled the old shop
and made it~an inviting place for the
theater patrons. to whom they ca
tered. +
In the center of it was a huge iron
cauldrOn in which the oysters were
boiled, apd about the sides were
booths where customers were served.
When the place was opened oysters
were not a popular dish in Washing
tonand little was known of them In
the north. One or two boatloads from
down Chesapeake bay were sufficient
to meet the demands of the trade. The
Harvey brothers made the oyster pop
ular. When the war broke out and
the capital was filed with tSoopen,
from the north they introduced the
shellflsh to the boys who had been
brought up on buckwheat cakes and
pork and beans. 1t proved the making
of fortune.
During the war the Harveys sold
frequently 500 boatloads of oysters a
week and employed. 800 men to shuck
and prepare them. Old residents tell
of seeing whole regiments of the boys
in blue lined up in front of Harvey's
waiting for an opportunity to be
served with a plate of oysters. So
popular did the oysters become that
suffers and purveyors to the army
purchased millions of gallons of them
for the soldiers in camp.
Finally the Harveys began expert
with different methods of
them for their patrons and
after one process and another had
been tried hit upon the plan of steam
ing them. Every soldier wanted to
get back to Washington for plate of
steamed oysters. The fame of the dish
reached the cabinet circle, and one
day, Mrs. Seward, the wife of the Sec
rotary of state, called at the oyster
house and made arrangements to have
this new delicacy served at dinner
at which President and Mrs. Lincoln
were to be guests. The dinner was
served at Harvey's and steamed oys-
ters formed the principal part of the
menu. It was the presidents first in
PRODUCTION to the dish, and he exacted
a promise, from his hosts not to tell
how many he ate. That dinner estab-
lished reputation for the steamed
oyster and it has never grown less.
The fame of the place has not rest
ed upon the steamed oyster alone,
however. It has enjoyed reputation
for its canvasback ducks, diamond
back terrapin, Holsters and sea food
of all kinds. For years Mr.. Harvey
has given the CUISINE his personal SUI
pervision, particularly when he was
to entertain distinguished guests who
were more frequently his patrons in
the old days than recently.
In the days before the war, some of
the cooks and walters were slaves.
The Harveys never owned slaves, but
they hired them from those who were
slave owners. Many of these old
darkies remained with the establish
ment after their emancipation and
drew their own wages. A few years
ago there were half dozen walters
and cooks who served at the place
during the civil war, and knew all the
peculiarities of the appetites of the
distinguished men of that period. The
last of their legion is tOld Randolph"
who was retired three months ago on
a pension because of i'll health, after
having prepared oysters at Harvey's
for 48 years. "Old Sam" is still in
the service behind the raw" counter
where he has stood for 40 years, and
boasts that he has opened more oys-
tiers than any other man living, and
that despite his age he is willing to
enter contest with any man for
speed. Uncle Bill'' has served the pat
rons of the place for 30 years, and
John is veteran Of more than %
and takes pride in the fact that he
has served more distinguished men in
his time than any other waiter in the
country.