Mount Lowe, on the southern fold of California’s San Gabriel Mountains, was originally called Oak Mountain but was renamed for Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe after he was credited as the first to reach its summit and plant an American flag there. Its name was reinforced by publisher and mapmaker Andrew McNally, who used it on his maps. The mountain became closely linked to Southern California’s early mountain tourism through the Mount Lowe Railway, the Mount Lowe Tavern at Crystal Springs, and trails such as the Mount Lowe Eight. Together, these features made the mountain a major recreational destination and preserved the story of rail-based access to rugged peaks.

Altadena, California · USA