There has been a pavilion on the north end of Lake Harriet since 1888. The first one was built by the Minneapolis Street Railway Company on a piece of property that belonged to trolley tycoon, Thomas Lowry. The grand pavilion served as a motor line station and featured a 1500 seat auditorium. Summer concerts, plays, aquatic expositions, balloon ascensions and bicycle races were held there for three years.
On June 22nd the pavilion was totally destroyed by a fire believed to have originated in the kitchen. The newest fire engine the city of Minneapolis had at the time traveled two miles to reach the blaze. Robert Fitzgerald, one of the restaurant employees who slept in the building, narrowly escaped. The street car company had watchmen on duty at the time. They all agreed the blaze started in the kitchen and was accidental.
