Re-dedication of the Ramada

November 16, 1996 will be the cumulation of months of hard work by the Scenic Mt. Lowe Historical Committee and its volunteers.

On that day a re-dedication of the Ramada at Inspiration Point will be held at Inspiration Point. The program will start at 10:00 AM. Included in the program will be guest speakers, displays of Mt. Lowe memoribilia, and the spectacular views of Inspiration Point.

All interested parties are encouraged to call 818-568-2610 for more information or to secure a ride to the event. Only a limited number of vehicals will be allowed access to this beautiful, remote, mountain location.

Bring along water and pack yourself a lunch. Most of all you’ll want to bring along a camera to record the event as well as get some special shots of this historical site and its views. The Ramada at Inpiration Point was part of the 1924-25 Pacific Electric expansion program. Located 1/4 mile from Alpine Tavern the site offered an unparrelled view of both the valleys and the heavens above.

It was a great stopping off point for hikers and also was the terminus of the famous OM& M Railroad, which stood for One Man and A Mule.

It was advertised heavily that from Inspiration Point one could observe with the aid of telescopic viewers, 56 different cities. The 2000 square miles of Southern California that visitors saw from the site showed checker board squares of orange groves, vineyards, and threaded through them were the newly built, great highways connecting it all to the shores of the great pacific ocean. On a clearooked as if the sky had turned upside down.

inspiration pt 3The millions of twinkling lights formed kaleidoscopic patterns on a velvet carpet of black. No wonder it was such a popular spot on the Mt. Lowe adventure.

Nearby were other points of interest like Proposal Arbor, a shady nook for picnic parties and a post where all could leave a business card tacked to it. There was also the silver fox farm, tennis courts, Easter Rock, pony rides and the many trails winding to various points across the range.

Perhaps the most popular attraction other then the view at inspiration Point was the OM & M. The One Man & a Mule Railroad was the brainstorm of a man named Zetterwall. He had come to the mountains around 1915 looking for purer air to help with his tuberculous.

Zetterwall laid almost three miles of track along the ridge east of Inspiration Point taking visitors to another view of the eastern San Gabriel valley. Passengers were charged 35 cents and children were 20 cents. The open railroad car was powered by Herbert the mule, who would push the car both ways to keep the dust off of the passengers.

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Last modified: February 12, 1999

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Jake Brouwer
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