1

Summerland's Cricket Team
1912
Summerland

Credits:
Summerland Museum

2

The Trout Creek District grew quickly in the early years. Robinson and Ritchie had promoted the town sites and settlers had been attracted by the promise of "summer weather forever" and the possibility of a new and flourishing industry, fruit ranching. The District attracted Boer War veterans, prairie and east coast farmers and a healthy contingent of young British men, many referred to as "remittance men."

3

The entrance to Garnett Valley
1912
Garnett Valley (West Summerland)

Credits:
Summerland Museum

4

In Garnett Valley the water came from Garnett Lake which was dammed in the late 1800s, and in West Summerland from the reservoir, formerly called Barclay Lake. It was a natural kettle lake with creeks running down to Okanagan Lake. In time the Trout Creek which sprang from Headwaters higher in the hills northwest of Summerland, would be diverted to fill the reservoir. The original town site on Okanagan Lake received its water from a spring in one of the gulches and at one point, briefly from the lake itself. To this day (2009) Summerland does not draw water from Okanagan Lake as do many of the communities in the region.

5

The Staff of the Dominion Experimental Farm
1920s
Okanagan Valley

Credits:
Summerland Museum

6

The Kettle Valley Railway over Trout Creek Canyon
1914
West Summerland

Credits:
Summerland Museum

7

The small community of Summerland was developing a reputation for its fine orchards and making its mark in the fruit industry. Despite the challenges, local orchardists were winning prizes and praise in competitions held in England, Spokane, Washington (US) and Vancouver, BC. Honours were bestowed upon orchardists like James Gartrell, who arrived in 1886 and started the first commercial orchard in the area. Thousands of acres of all varieties of trees covered the district: apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums and cherries. Fruit packing houses, canneries, a box factory and other related industries kept the boats and barges busy shipping Summerland produce to market and bringing in supplies and more settlers.

8

Summerland's first hospital building
1914
Summerland

Credits:
Summerland Museum

9

As was the case in the early days in many towns that were built from wood, tragedy struck the community and fire took many of the buildings. Summerland had a municipal irrigation and domestic water system in place but the water pressure was not sufficient and the community's hospital was only the first building to go. The 1920s brought more fire destruction, this time to the business section in the lakeside town with the loss of the Hotel Summerland, the Empire Hall, which housed businesses and served as the community hall, and some of the other business buildings.

10

Granville Road, West Summerland
1920s
West Summerland

Credits:
Summerland Museum