Summerland, 2 miles north on Hwy 3
When John Robinson, a former Manitoba legislator and newspaper editor, came to the South Okanagan in 1898, he found only dry grazing land. Seeing its potential, he introduced irrigation and let in the established of peach, pear, apricot and cherry orchards. His promotion and capital built the communities of Peachland, Naramata and Summerland and founded the area's great fruit tree industry.
Born in Ontario, John Moore Robinson became a teacher, newspaper editor and member of the provincial legislature in Manitoba. He came to BC as a prospector, and is credited with founding the town of Peachland in 1899, Summerland in 1902 and Naramata in 1907.
After a visit to what is now Peachland, he convinced a number of prairie farmers to make mining claims there. No ore was ever mined, so Robinson bought the land, divided it into 10 acre plots, and sold them to the prairie settlers for orchards. He called his ranch “Peachland.”
The name Summerland was associated with a group of spiritualists from Winnipeg who sang, before their seances, a hymn referring to "that gleaming city...the heavenly Summerland". Their leader, John's brother, Rev. A.T. Robinson, was so impressed with the scenic beauty of the site that he is said to have suggested the name in 1902.
In 1907, nearby Naramata began to develop as orchards were planted and settlers arrived. In 1914, the Dominion Experimental Station was started at Summerland for research into methods of growing peaches, apples, plums and other tree fruits.
Robinson was a great booster of the Okanagan Valley, and proud of the prosperous orchards growing where dry grass and sage brush had been the only vegetation.
Resources:
John Moore Robinson
» http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Moore_Robinson
