Meet me at the Castañeda
by Dr. Terra Liddil
On Thursday, August 30,1899 at 12:57 PM, 23 guests of the Castañeda hotel were enjoying a leisurely lunch of Guacamole Monterey, Cold Vichyssoise Cream Soup, and Fried Chicken Castañeda with Baked Tomatoes. Peach Alexandria was the dessert special, at a price of 65ȼ.
Five Harvey Girls wearing crisply starched white aprons moved gracefully about the room. They served each diner swiftly and cheerfully. It was their duty to make sure every place setting met the Harvey standards for perfection. Irish linens from Belfast … fine china and crystal from London … Sheffield silver … all arranged with precision at each place.
Amidst this pleasant atmosphere, and without warning, Mr. C.C. Denton suddenly burst into the room. Rushing from table to table, he urgently prompted each diner to finish quickly and retire to the adjacent veranda where coffee and tea were being served.
As manager of the hotel, it was his duty to clear the lunchroom immediately. The Santa Fe #1 was due to arrive from Chicago at any moment. Priority would be given to 76 hungry passengers who would deboard the train for lunch. He would have a short 45 minutes to feed them all before the train continued its journey west to Los Angeles.
Already the billowing smoke of the locomotive could be seen down the track. A shrill whistle signaled its approach. At the adjacent station a crowd had gathered. Children elbowed their way for a view of the thundering steam engine. Rumbling could be felt along the brick pathway in front of the hotel as the 200-ton steam locomotive came to a screeching halt.
In the lunchroom the Harvey Girls stood at the doors awaiting the crowd that would enter at any moment. These young women would serve a 4 - course meal to 76 passengers in less than 30 minutes. With professional demeanor and efficient service they brought an air of gentility and refinement rarely found on the western frontier.
On the veranda, hotel patrons enjoyed coffee and tea beneath the arched portico. Newly seeded bluegrass carpeted the courtyard before them. A large fountain bubbling with cool water stood in the center. Opening onto the railroad track, this lush courtyard invited weary travelers to relax in a cool oasis.
Built in the romantic California Mission Style, the Castañeda was the jewel of Las Vegas. Its curved parapets beneath a central bell tower would serve as a model for many future hotels along the Santa Fe Line. As one of the first railside hotels operated by the Fred Harvey - Santa Fe Railroad partnership, this was the prototype of a business model that would continue throughout the southwest for decades to come.
Through 50 years of operation, this famed and fabulous lunchroom served meals to thousands - perhaps millions - of hotel and railroad guests. By the 1940’s, the automobile had surpassed the railroad as a means of travel. The Casteñada fell into disrepair and deterioration.
Miraculously, after 70 years of disuse, the Hotel Castañeda has found new life, and has now reopened her magnificent doors! The lunchroom described above has been completely restored. The original windows, bar, and even tiled floor have been refurbished and modernized. The surrounding porticoed veranda still overlooks a courtyard ... and cocktails and superb food are once again being served.
The Friends of the City of Las Vegas Museum are honored to invite you to join us - in this very room - on August 3 at 5PM for a cowboy concert. Renowned singer/songwriter Steve Cormier will rekindle the past era of western life with his guitar and songs. Steve is a local rancher, writer, and performer. His experience of the open range finds expression in his music ...like sitting around the campfire with old friends. Come and experience for yourself a taste of the Old West in this newly-renovated original Harvey House. Seating is limited. We encourage you to reserve your place by email at Friends.CLVM@gmail.com. Tickets for the event are $5.
We’ll meet you there!