Highland was selected from a progeny of 119 seedlings of a cross of Bartlett x Cornice made in 1944 by Dr. George Oberle. It first fruited in 1956 and was selected by the author for further test. In 1963, it was made available by the New York State Fruit Testing Cooperative Association for testing under the number, N.Y. 10274. It has continued to look promising, and numerous growers who have tested it have reported favorably on it. So, it was decided to introduce it in 1974. The name, Highland, was chosen following the tradition of naming pears after New York State place names. Highland, in the center of the Hudson Valley fruit area, is the location of the Hudson Valley Research Laboratory which has a long record of service to growers in the area.