The Turning Point: Hard Work Yielded Fruit.
Peter Gideon crossbred the crabapple and apple to produce an apple that would grow in Minnesota's cold harsh climate. Peter called the apple “Wealthy,” named after his wife, Wealthy Hull.
The first tree took 3-5 years to bear fruit and Peter finally had a sustainable Wealthy apple in 1860. His discovery was so valuable that Peter was named "The father of fruit breeding on the prairies." A remarkable achievement for a self-educated pioneer horticulturist.
"But the man who produces a fruit, for instance, that will grow, that will flourish in a climate where else there would be no fruit, or where there was none before, he builds that which cannot be destroyed, which cannot be dissipated, which cannot be superseded, and hence he is a greater man in every respect." ~A. J. Philips 1900 Memorial of Peter Gideon's death~
Even though Peter changed the way you could grow apples in Minnesota with the Wealthy, he was still not an easy man to work with. He was very independent and not open to suggestions and had strong political views. Gideon wanted to do things his way or not do it at all. As a result, Peter was fired from the University of Minnesota while he was in the middle of researching the creation of new apples based on the Wealthy.
"In crossing the common apple with the cherry crab, he achieved marvelous results in producing hardy apple trees adapted to this cold northern climate." ~The Minnesota Horticulturist 1900, in Memorial of Peter Gideon's Death~