225 Robinson Ave |
British Columbia Tourism Region : Thompson Okanagan
Description From Owner:
Arawana ~ Creek
- Naramata - John Moore Robinson, who founded Naramata in 1907, tells us that he got the name -
- from the denizens of the spirit world through the mediumship of Mrs. J. M. Gillespie, one of the most prominent spiritualistic lecturers and mediums of the American Spiritualistic Church.
- Big Moose was a Sioux Indian Chief, and he dearly loved his wife of whom he spoke in the most endearing terms, and he gave us her name as Narramattah, and he said she was the 'Smile of Manitou.'
- It struck me that this would be a good name for our village which I thought of calling Brighton Beach. We therefore cut out the unnecessary letters and called the town Naramata.
- Mrs. Gillespie's first husband had lived in Australia, and sceptics who do not believe in Big Moose suspect that Naramata is based on some Australian aboriginal name such as that of Paramatta, near Sydney.
- Arawana ~ Creek - Earlier Naramata Siding, but the name was changed to avoid confusion with Naramata when railway tickets were written. The new name was possibly taken from a popular song, 'Arrah Wannah,' written by Theodore F. Morse around 1906.
- With permission from G.P.V and Helen B. Akrigg 1997 British Columbia Place Names. UBC Press.
Address of this page: http://bc.ruralroutes.com/Naramata