Mount Lowe Preservation Society

Pacific Electric Mount Lowe Timetable (1902)

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:58:37 +0000

The Pacific Electric Railway, after making the purchase of the Mount Lowe line, wasted no time in incorporating it into special advertising and timetables. This timetable dates from September 1902 and depicts the triangular PE – Mount Lowe logo, with the vista points Valley, Sea Shore and Mount Lowe named within the logo. Whereas Lowe called his railway, “Earth’s Grandest Mountain Ride” the PE continued in the same way by calling it, “Grandest Scenic Trip on Earth.” Six double sided panels share the scenic points and cities, including East Los Angeles, Highland Park, Garvanza, South Pasadena, Pasadena and Altadena and “Up and into the Beautiful Sierra Madre Mountains.” Offices for ticket information were at 250 S. Spring Street (Stimson block) in Los Angeles and the Pacific Electric Railway Pasadena Office on the SW corner of Colorado and Fair Oaks. Round trip from LA to Alpine Tavern and back was $2.50; trains ran from as early as 8:00 am until 10:00 pm. Also mentioned is the newly constructed “Casino” which was not a gambling establishment, but a dance hall (50′ by 100′) which was also equipped with a bowling alley and fine croquet grounds.

Michael Patris Collection

Sid Grauman and Mount Lowe

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:40:09 +0000

Even entertainment czar Sid Grauman loved Mount Lowe! One of the early advertising cards from Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, which opened in 1922, shares with tourists the following:

Information to Tourists

You must not miss seeing the 3 Greatest Sights in California

The Orange Groves
Mt. Lowe with its observatory
“The Ten Commandments,” at the Egyptian Theatre

Sid Grauman

The back side of the card (2.5″ by 4.5″) shows the distances from Los Angeles to outlying areas from Alhambra to Wilmington, and, of course, Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, highlighted in red.

Mount Lowe Preservation Society Collection

A View From the Incline Car

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Wed, 29 May 2013 05:30:16 +0000

Tourist snapshot looking from the Mount Lowe incline car over the trestle and over the top of a Pacific Electric Railway wood bodied car and down through a hazy Rubio Canyon. Undated, measuring 2.5″ by 3.25″.

Mount Lowe Preservation Society Collection

Herbert’s Power House

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Wed, 29 May 2013 05:27:39 +0000

Apparently the power house on Echo Mountain (which was really the winding station and equipment room for the cable apparatus) was the namesake for Herbert the Mule’s corral along the One Man and a Mule Railway. Presumably this was nothing more than the place where Herbert spent the night and his off hours.

Real Photo Postcard, Mount Lowe Preservation Society Collection, donated by Vic McVey

Clara Bow’s Cougar at the Fox Farm

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Wed, 29 May 2013 05:24:30 +0000

Actress Clara Bow, The “IT Girl” had a penchant for interesting possessions, including this cougar, shown with an unknown young man. The cougar was known as her “pet” but getting it from Hollywood to the Fox Farm near Alpine Tavern must have been quite a site. No one seems to have any photos of cougars (the four legged kind) on PE cars and none have shown up on any Charles Lawrence Mount Lowe incline souvenir photos… but perhaps they are out there! Bow also reportedly had other pet felines of the “wild type.”

Mount Lowe Preservation Society Collection, donated by Vic McVey

Los Angeles & Pasadena Electric Railway and Mount Lowe Railway Company Ticket Stub

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Wed, 29 May 2013 05:21:28 +0000

Los Angeles & Pasadena Electric Railway and Mount Lowe Railway Company ticket stub for a trip along the Alpine Division, from Echo Mountain to Alpine Tavern. 2.25″ by 1.50″ with a facsimile signature of W. H. Smith, General Manager.

Mount Lowe Preservation Society Collection

Leona Phelps at the Falls

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:20:59 +0000

Miss Leona Phelps visits one of nine waterfalls in Rubio Canyon, just upstream from Rubio Pavilion, circa 1905.

The falls were quite a tourist attraction, but Thaddeus Lowe initially thought there was enough water to generate electricity to run the incline. During the winter and spring months, circa 1900, our annual rainfall was nearly 24″. Lowe quickly found out the summers were quite dry and not enough water flow could sustain the generation of electricity. Shortly thereafter a gasoline engine was brought in to help generate electricity which was then stored in batteries.

Unknown photographer, albumen photo, Michael Patris Collection

Looking Down the Incline

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:16:33 +0000

Looking down the incline circa 1905 by an unknown photographer. Note the photographer’s boots in the lower corners of the image.

One of the stories some of the descendants of railway engineer David Joseph Macpherson tell is how they would hike up the Sam Merrill Trail from the top of Lake Street into the local mountains (circa 1940s) and bring a piece of plywood with them. Once arriving on Echo Mountain they would go to the abandoned inspection pit on the siding and get grease for the bottom of their wood, take it to the top of the incline and ride it down the hill into Rubio Canyon. Quite a ride for a youngster!

Albumen photo, Michael Patris Collection

Fred Harvey / Mount Lowe Connection

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:41:52 +0000

This Park Company Photographers photo, negative #601, is inscribed on the negative, “Portion of Alpine Section of Mount Lowe Railway, Circular Bridge and Cape of Good Hope. While it is undated, it is back-stamped, in purple ink, Santa Fe Route News Service, Fred Harvey, Manager, Los Angeles.” Obviously an early photo, pre-1900, and perhaps, with this camera angle and vantage point, taken from the tower of the Echo Mountain House Hotel at Echo Mountain. Michael Patris Collection.

Alpine Tavern Pony Rides

Mount Lowe Preservation Society — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:39:21 +0000

Early Alpine Tavern is captured by an unknown photographer, prior to the Pacific Electric Railway purchase in 1902. Some of the signage is quite clear due to the quality of the image, including a sign for “Pony Trip to the Summit of Mount Lowe, with guide, time about two hours, tickets, $1.00, apply at hotel office.” The next sign reads, “Saddle Horses for Hire, Inquire at Hotel Office.” Note the porcelain “Long Distance Telephone” flange sign attached to the left fork of the tree, and the Mount Lowe Post Office sign behind on the larger tree, where is also states, “Alpine 5,000 Feet.” The two uniformed railway employees look on and just past the stairway to the entrance is “Ye Alpine Shoppe” where tourists and guests could purchase Mount Lowe souvenirs. The big log, buried in the ground at the end of the tracks, along with the heavy chain, was the terminus of the Alpine Division and where the trolley cars would be chained up to prevent any unwanted movement of the equipment. Michael Patris Collection.