Photo source: http://www.thaddeuslowe.name/MtLowe.htmSee also: Electric Streetcars in Los Angeles
(Excerpt) "Mount Lowe is a mountain on the southern fold of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California ... it was renamed for Professor Thaddeus S.C. Lowe, who built the Mount Lowe Railway to its foot in 1896 ... Mt. Lowe was established as an alternate route for the Mount Lowe Railway when attempts to procure rights of way to the more prominent Mount Wilson had failed ...Read more: http://www.mtlowe.net/
At the turn of the 20th Century, Rail Power was the dominant means of transportation. Professor Thaddeus Lowe, who moved to Pasadena in the 1880's decided to make use of the rail lines to build a special Railway, a Hotel, and a Tavern in the mountains ...
Against many odds the vision of Mr. Lowe ... came to reality, and the world witnessed on July 4 of 1893, the opening of the Echo Mountain hotel at the top of the Great Incline. About 2 years later there would be another building, the Alpine Tavern, built higher up at the foot of Mt. Lowe along a trolley route. People ventured from all corners of the earth to see for themselves, and take a ride on the "Railway to the Clouds". This one act created a phenomenon that put Pasadena on the map and became world famous."
..
