Peter Britt was an extraordinary man of vision and accomplishment. His curiosity, motivation and experimental nature matched with a keen business sense allowed him to merge broad-ranging interests into a wide assortment of successful endeavors.

Arriving in Jacksonville, Oregon, at the beginning of the Gold Rush, the 33 year-old Swiss immigrant tried his hand at prospecting and mule packing before seriously focusing on his photographic trade. In time, he branched into horticulture and wine making, beekeeping, and meteorology. He became a rancher and orchardist, financier, and family man. When he died at age 86 in 1905, Britt was one of the wealthiest, best-known and most highly respected men in Southern Oregon.