Over the Edge: Fred Harvey at the Grand Canyon and in the Great Southwest

As we know them today, the American Southwest, and the Grand Canyon that lies at its heart, are the product of vast natural forces over millions of years. But they were also created by one man s vision and a railroad.

The entrepreneurial genius was Fred Harvey. The Colt .45 revolver may have won the West, but Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe Railway made it comfortable.

In the late nineteenth century, the Santa Fe opened up a strange, spectacular new territory to travelers. And Harvey followed, establishing restaurants, hotels, and shops.

In Over the Edge, Kathleen L. Howard and Diana F. Pardue reveal in vivid detail how Harvey and the Santa Fe together created a vision of the Southwest that still works its magic today. As you read about the Kolb Brothers, Mary Colter, Joe Secakuku, William Haskell Simpson, Elle of Ganado, the famous Harvey Girls, and the iconic railway that brought visitors in droves, you will also see the amazing photographs, postcards, pamphlets, menus, calendars, advertisements, and even matchbook covers that evoke the adventure and joy of that special time and place.