Overview

This memorial honors Thomas Lowry, who led the Twin City Rapid Transit Company.

• Location: 2330 Hennepin Avenue South
• Neighborhood: East Isles

Guidelines

See design guidelines

Historic profile

This memorial honors Thomas Lowry, who led the Twin City Rapid Transit Company.

Lowry arrived in Minneapolis from Illinois in 1867 as a young lawyer. He became involved in real estate development. In 1875, he represented Colonel William S. King in the reorganization of the bankrupt Minneapolis Street Railway. Lowry was invited to join the company as a vice president. By 1881, Lowry was the sole owner. Lowry gained control of the Saint Paul City Railway and merged the two companies to create the Twin City Rapid Transit Company (TCRT) in 1891. Under his leadership, TCRT built a technologically advanced and successful streetcar system. Streetcars were instrumental in shaping the development of the city.

Thomas Lowry died on February 4, 1909. The Thomas Lowry Memorial Association selected sculptor Karl Bitter to design a memorial. Bitter sculpted the bronze statue of Lowry and designed the stone backdrop. H.N. Leighton Company completed the rough stone and concrete work. Bitter's associates, Corrando Novani and William Archie, carved the stone. They were supervised by sculptors Karl Gruppe and Charles Wells. The memorial was dedicated on August 18, 1915.

The memorial was originally located at the Virginia Triangle, near the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lyndale Avenue. It was moved farther south to Smith Triangle Park in 1967 to make way for Interstate 94.