Robson, British Columbia

In 1888, civil servant Gilbert Malcolm Sproat set aside a half-section of land for a government reserve. The water deeper, and high banks protecting the shore from flooding, the location was about upstream from the Norns (formerly Pass) Creek delta. Bordering in 1890, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) acquired around 70 acres about from the creek. The location was named after Premier John Robson for his support of CP endeavours. In 1891, the CP's Columbia and Kootenay Railway (C&K) reached its new western terminal. C&K opened a depot, installed a turntable, and ran tracks along the new steamboat dock. ==Flourished==

Sproat's Landing diminished and Robson flourished. For overnight stays and mail, Louis Levesque was hotelier and postmaster. Otherwise, passengers transferred directly from train to sternwheeler. Freight cars rolled onto barges. The upstream route to Arrowhead connected with the spur from Revelstoke. That year, the Columbia and Western Railway opened to West Robson on the opposite bank. Prior to the rail bridge, steamers and barges shuttled freight and passengers between the two Robsons. On timetables, and occasionally newspapers, the former terminal was called East Robson. ==Reinvented==

On the 1902 completion of the rail bridge across the Columbia River at Sproat's Landing, West Robson became the ferry terminal, and businesses and residents relocated. East Robson was reinvented as commercial orchard lots. ==Recent decades==

Since the dividing line between Robson and Raspberry to the east is debatable, Robson-Raspberry is the unofficial amalgamation for census and improvement district purposes. In 2014, Robson/Raspberry opened a new water treatment plant, ending two decades of being on a boil water advisory. That year, Johnny's Groceries and Gas experienced an armed robbery. In 2016, the craft beer put the Lion's Head Pub on British Columbia Magazine's list of top ten establishments. ==References==