Mt. Lowe Historic Site Interpretive Plan
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USDA Mount Lowe Historic Site United States Department of Interpretive Plan Agriculture Forest Service Los Angeles River Ranger District Region 5 Angeles National Forest October 2007 Prepared by USDA Forest Service Center for Design & Interpretation Mount Lowe Historical Site Interpretive Plan October 2007 Prepared by ___________________________________________________________________________/s/ Linda Hecker 10/8/07 Linda Hecker, Interpretive Planner Date Center for Design & Interpretation Reviewed by ___________________________________________________________________________/s/ Lois Ziemann 10/23/07 Lois Ziemann, Interpretive Planner Date Center for Design & Interpretation Reviewed by ___________________________________________________________________________/s/ Kendra Bourgart 10/16/07 Kendra Bourgart, Leader Date TEAMS Marketing Unit Approved by ___________________________________________________________________________/s/ Michael McIntyre 10/1/07 Michael McIntyre, District Ranger Date Los Angeles River Ranger District Acknowledgements Center for Design and Interpretation, Rocky Mountain Region: Linda Hecker, Interpretive Planner and Project Manager Lois Ziemann, Interpretive Planner and Graphic Designer Terry Wong, CDI Manager Dave Steinke, A/V Media Specialist, CLA, R2 Kendra Bourgart, Leader, TEAMS Marketing Unit Los Angeles River Ranger District: Michael McIntyre, District Ranger Howard Okamoto, District Recreation Officer Angeles National Forest Supervisors Office: David Peebles, Archaeologist Joanna Huckabee, Archaeologist Partners Brain Marcroft, Mount Lowe Historical Society Susan Mumper, Mount Lowe Historical Society Bob Berger, Mount Lowe Historical Society Don Bremner, Sierra Club Adonis Wilson, Canyoneers Stacey Camp, Doctoral Candidate, Stanford University Contents Introduction — 1 Background of the Historical Site — 1 Objectives and Scope — 2 Audience Analysis — 2 Current Audiences — 3 Future Use — 4 Analysis of Audience and Trends — 5 Interpretive Planning — 5 Interpretive Goals — 5 Interpretive Objectives — 5 Statements of Significance — 6 Interpretive Theme Statements — 7 Central Theme — 8 Recommended Interpretive Media — 8 General Recommendations — 8 Entry Kiosk — 9 Rubio Canyon — 9 Echo Mountain (The White City) — 9 Alpine Tavern — 9 Rail Bed — 10 Documentary Video — 10 Marketing Opportunities — 10 Cost Estimates — 10 Interpretive Panels — 10 Priorities — 16 Evaluation — 16 Exhibit Evaluation — 17 Evaluation Summary — 17 Appendix A - Interpretive Inventory — 19 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Mount Lowe Historic Site Interpretive Plan Introduction This project is part of the effort to rehabilitate and minimize the effects to Rubio Canyon from the past pipeline construction activities of the Rubio Canyon Land & Water Association (RCLWA). In 1998, the RCLWA, using funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was modifying the steep hillside to stabilize and support a water line that had been damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. As a result of RCLWA’s attempts to stabilize their water line in the canyon, approximately 25,000 cubic yards was deposited in the canyon, burying a number of waterfalls and historic sites. Public concern resulted in Congress allocating over $2.0 million to the Forest Service for work in the canyon, to remove the rock fall and unbury the waterfalls in an attempt to restore the canyon to its previous condition. However, during the environmental analysis of the restoration work, a major rain event and associated flood occurred, washing significant amounts of the sediment down canyon and filling a sediment dam at the base of the canyon. As a result of the flood, the according to travel and promotional literature Forest Service was able to reprogram some of the time (Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2004). of the funds for debris removal and allocate them for this interpretive planning effort and Although Professor Lowe was a creative implementation of its media recommendations. genius, he was no businessman. By 1899, he was broke and the railway was in receivership. Background of the Historical Site In 1902, Henry E. Huntington bought the railway “by the Los Angeles Railway The Mount Lowe Railway was once Company- a Huntington subsidiary- for considered one of the most popular tourist an unspecified amount” (Mount Lowe The attractions in southern California. It operated Railway in the Clouds, pg 123), and made it from 1893-1936 and carried 3.1 million visitors. part of his Pacific Electric Railway, which It was the brain child of Thaddeus Sobieski connected many of the small communities Constantine Lowe, famous inventor, Civil together into a comprehensive commuter War hero, and pioneer balloonist. Along railway within the Los Angeles (L.A.) basin. with his engineer, David J. MacPherson, he designed, engineered, and built one of the The Pacific Electric Railway promoted the line most ambitious railways of its era, earning it as the “The Grandest Scenic Trip on Earth” the title of “the eighth wonder of the world”, (Westways Magazine, 1976). For $2.00, Page 1 Angeles National Forest passengers could purchase a round trip ticket recreation use in the area from an urbanized from Los Angeles to Mount Lowe. focus to a more natural focus. Unfortunately, the line was plagued with In 1993, the area was listed on the National heavy maintenance costs, and natural threats Register of Historic Places as an historic such as fires, floods, rock slides, and wind district. storms. In 1909, the line suffered its only fatality when a rock slide destroyed the Objectives and Scope original Rubio Pavilion, killing the caretaker’s five year old son. By the mid-1930s, these This plan will provide over-arching themes, challenges, coupled with the Depression and goals, and objectives for interpretive messages a declining interest in rail travel by the public, and media. It will look at existing interpretive resulted in business waning and visitor use media, make recommendations for new diminishing. and/or replacement media, and guide the implementation of specific projects. By the time the Alpine Tavern burned to the ground in 1936, the end was in sight. In 1937, The objectives of this interpretive plan are to: a formal request was made to and granted by 1. Connect the public with the national forest, the State Railway Commission, to abandon the through the use of information, orientation line. On December 5, 1937, the railway made and interpretive media. its last run. 2. Encourage understanding, respect, and appreciation of the natural and cultural In 1938, record rains and floods cause resources. significant rock slides that 3. Connect visitors to a forgotten piece of destroyed much of the southern California history and remind line, trestles, and other them of the historic struggle for dominance improvements which proved between man and nature at this site. to be the end of the line for the complex. Afterwards, the The scope of the project includes the three sections of the railway was dismantled and railway: sold for scrap. Rubio Canyon - From Altadena to the base of the incline In 1941, the mountain railway Incline - From Rubio Pavilion to Echo right-of-way expired and Mountain (the White City) the land was sold to the Alpine Division - Echo Mountain (the government becoming part of White City) to the Alpine Tavern the Angeles National Forest. (including Inspiration Point) By 1962, the Forest Service had Audience Analysis removed most of the above ground remains of the resort The following assumptions are acknowledged in this and railway, leaving the rail plan: bed and foundations. Forest Use within the historical site will continue Service campgrounds and and will increase as access is improved, trails replaced the hotels and especially within Rubio Canyon. railways, transitioning the Rubio Canyon Page 2 Mount Lowe Historic Site Interpretive Plan Visitors will continue to use the area more for exercise and recreation than as a heritage site. Urban encroachment is an issue with regards to the lack of a land stewardship ethic reflected by some visitor use, vandalism, and limited trailhead parking. Significant changes in visitor use or Forest Service policies may require modification to this plan during its implementation. Current Audiences The front range of the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest is within a 1-hour drive of 13 million people. Urbanization surrounds the national forest lands at the base of the mountains. Many of the access points for trailheads are located in residential areas with limited parking on city streets. The L.A. basis has a rich cultural diversity with over