From the re-built Pavilion

View from Echo Mountain
 

5

The Mt. Lowe Baseball Team

Search Light at Echo Mountain House
 

The reflecting mirror is 60 inches in diameter, free from spherical aberration, reflecting a parallel beam of light.  It was manufactured by Mangin, in Paris, France, and is a most perfect specimen of optical work.

The light drew a maximum of 200 amperes of current to supply the 1.5 inch-diameter carbon electrodes that fed the electric arc.  This would produce a light so strong it could be compared to the kleig lights seen today times 10.  You could light up Catalina Island, 35 miles away, with this light.

Joe Hall, a relative of Thaddeus Lowe, walks along mountain, 
Inspiration Peak, above Inspiration Point

Paul Ayers, 1992, looking out at view - location is near the Cape of Good Hope

2 views of the Great Incline from the base at the Pavillion

Looking down at Echo Mtn. as it looks today.

Where facilities were located

Echo Mountain House and the White City - Circa 1899

The "Right-of-Way" - the tracks to the Rubio Pavilion were here which was the pathway of the Pacific Electric Railcars taking people to the Incline. 
This is now alongside the street "Maiden Lane" in Altadena.

At this point one may find a monument dedicated to MacPherson who engineered the railway.

Inspiration Pt. from Echo Mtn.

Brian Marcroft in 1972 -    Hiking up the Incline 

Inspiration Pt. before construction in 1996

Los Angeles from Echo Mtn.

Altadena Country Club from Echo

View of Mt. Lowe from Pavilion

Echo Mountain House - Circa 1898

July 4, 1993
Centennial ( one hundred year) dedication at Echo Mountain.  This event was organized by our group - specifically Brian Marcroft, John Harrigan and Jim Spencer.  We had 400 people turn out including Engineer MacPherson's son.!  It was a cold day - rather unusual for a summer day in southern California....you can see the fog.

The Observatory above Echo Mtn.

Jason and Owen Brown on Brown Mountain

 

 

The grave site of Owen Brown, one of the sons of the famous and fiery abolitionist John Brown (*see below), at the base of Brown Mountain on a hill the Brown brothers named "Little Round Top" **, west of Mt. Echo about 1/2 mile.  Owen worked for Professor Lowe for a period of time.

 

 

Photo above  from 1898

Photo taken  in February, 1907 by Gerald Brown

See Blog for John Brown

FLASH:  Grave stone missing - see L.A. Times article

* In 1859, John Brown made a dramatic stand against slavery in Harper's Ferry, Virginia.  In that period of time, slavery had become a hot political issue which eventually contributed to the waging of war between the North and the South in 1861.       John Brown was a significant pre-cursor to that war showing his willingness to stand up and die for his convictions, although he had miscalculated by assuming that all the slaves in the area would rise up and join him in battle.  The reinforcements never came.

Interestingly, he overtook the U.S. armory/arsenal in Harper's Ferry, and he and his small contingent of men (greatly outnumbered), held off the Federal Army for about 24 hours before being captured.  After a speedy trial he was hung by the neck for committing treason.       It is worthy of note that the U.S. Army Colonel who led the troops against John Brown was none other than Robert E. Lee, who would later become a General, and leave the Union army (despite Lincoln's request that he lead the Federals) in favor of the South, and lead the Confederate Army for 4 years in the Civil War. **  "Little Round Top" was a small mountain at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where several battles took place between the North and the South in July, 1863.  Decisive victory by the Federals under General George Meade reduced General Robert E. Lee and his Confederate Army to defeat and retreat.  Many historians feel that had General Meade been more aggressive when Lee started to retreat, the War could have ended at this famous battle rather than be prolonged for another 2 years.