It's National Endangered Species Day. Come on down to the museum to learn more about Summerland's endangered species and how you can help protect our local environment. (fb)

On this International Day of Families (15th May 2025), this week's Throwback Thursday looks at one of Summerland's first settler families. Today, we travel back 116 years to join the Monro family on their property in Peach Valley. This photo from 1909 shows Robert and Jessie Monro with five of their children and family dog posing outside their tent house, with their new home being constructed in the background. Robert Stewart Monro was born in 1869 in Perth, Scotland. He emigrated to Canada with his family aged 3 years old, living first in Toronto and then Winnipeg. At 17 years old, Robert left home to work on the railroads, ending up in Salt Lake City, where he met and married Jessie Pringle on 26th May 1892. Jessie was born in 1871 in Lancashire, England, and had moved to Salt Lake City as a baby. The couple had 6 children while living in Salt Lake City: Claude, Robert, Alexander, Melvin, Jessie, and Isobel. Robert clearly had big plans for their future though, as in 1899 he joined the Gold Rush, travelling to Atlin, BC, close to the Yukon border. He lived there for several months before returning to the US. In 1908, Robert travelled to the Okanagan to check out the fruit-growing potential of the area. Despite stating that the "fruit proposition looked rather dubious", the family sold up and moved to Summerland the following year, travelling by train, stagecoach, steam wheeler, and cart, carrying the little dog in a picnic basket the whole way. The family lived on a ranch in Peach Valley, living initially in two tents while their house was constructed. They got their water from the irrigation flume, and had to walk an 8-mile round trip to collect provisions and mail from the town. Soon, the family of 8 grew to 10 as 2 more daughters, Edith and Marion, were born. Life with 8 children and a farm and home to establish from scratch can't have been easy, particularly without the modern conveniences we now take for granted. The Monro home was known for its fun and laughter though. Jessie entertained regularly and was well-known for hosting parties with music and dancing, particularly for the neighbourhood children. Certainly, looking at the faces in this photo from so long ago, the Monros seem to be a big, happy family! To learn more about this fascinating family, visit our digital Monro family file here chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5995f4e96b8f5b9ef7c7355f/t/5d0e7c0a45897f0001f9913c/1561230474116/36-Monro+Family+Vol.+9.pdf #ThrowbackThursday #InternationalDayofFamilies (fb)