THE LESSON OF A PUBLIC-SPIRITED LIFE

The Thomas Lowry memorial statue stands in Smith Triangle Park, in the Uptown area of Minneapolis.  The inscription reads:

“The lesson of a public-spirited life is

as a tree ever bearing new fruit.”

Lowry, a lawyer and real estate magnate, was head of the Minneapolis Street Rail Co., which later became part of Twin City Rapid Transit.  Under his watchful eye, the rail system began to grow and flourish throughout Minneapolis and its surrounding areas, and in 1892, his rail Company merged with the rail line from St. Paul, shortly after the first “interurban” rail connection between the two cities was finished.

This summer, Minneapolis and St. Paul were once again connected by rail, as Metro Transit opened the “green line” light rail tracks joining the two cities.  As the Twin Cities continue to grow and develop their new light rail system, I’m called to take a moment, to remember the man whose vision first brought the rail system to our vibrant city.

***How often do you travel by rail, and where are your favorite rail            systems at?