John Stevenson Robertson: Pioneer Horticulturalist

John Stevenson Robertson: Pioneer Horticulturalist. . , John S. Robertson (1866-1937) was a pioneer in farming and fruit growing in the Black Hills. His dryland orchard was located about four miles north, at an elevation of 4,200 feet. Born in Ohio in 1866, Robertson homesteaded in Fall River County in 1892 and planted his first apple trees in 1896. He experimented with adapting varieties and growing techniques for the climate and terrain. He coordinated with horticulturalists across the state, particularly N.E. Hansen of the State Agricultural College in Brookings, to test varieties and share results. Robertson was the horticulture editor for Dakota Farmer and wrote for area newspapers. He lectured at Farmers’ Institutes and horticultural society meetings. In 1928, South Dakota State College honored him as an Eminent Farmer. Robertson was prominent in the State Horticultural Society and its president from 1933 to 1935. In 1935, the Society founded a memorial park and erected a plaque to Robertson that was dedicated in his presence on July 18th. He bequeathed funds to the Society for an annual John Robertson Memorial Award in Horticulture. South Dakota State College recognized his development of a plant variety by naming it the John Robertson black raspberry. Robertson is interred in the park.