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Harvey House of Old

Quality lodging for passengers was an important part of the Santa Fe Railway system during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A string of hotels and restaurants run by the Fred Harvey Company opened along Santa Fe rail lines during this time as the railroad expanded west. The hotels and restaurants were known as Harvey Houses, and they became famous for their quality food and service. The "Fray Marcos Hotel" located inside the Williams Depot was one such Harvey House. The hotel was named after Spanish missionary Marcos de Niza, who explored the Southwest in the early 16th century. The Fred Harvey Company often named its hotels after early explorers. The hotel and adjoining depot opened to the public in 1908 with 22 guest rooms. In 1925, 21 additional rooms were added. The Fray Marcos Hotel was a diamond in the rough being in a town full of railroaders, ranchers and lumbermen. It contained what was then considered modern amenities such as a lunch room, formal dining room, news and photograph room, Indian Room with a beautiful fireplace and cigar stand. There were even “Harvey Girls” to serve the rugged bunch. Dressed in their signature black and white dresses, the ladies brought some civility and charm to the frontier. Both the Williams Depot and the Fray Marcos Hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The old hotel is no longer used for lodging guests. Parts of the original structure house the Grand Canyon Railway gift shop and company offices. This historic depot is in use and open to the public. The current GCR Hotel is located right across a lawn from the original hotel.