Princeton is a town municipality in the Similkameen region of southern British Columbia, Canada.

[2] The former mining and railway hub lies at the confluence of the Tulameen into the Similkameen River, just east of the Cascade Mountains.

In 1812, Alexander Ross of the Pacific Fur Company was the first European to explore the Similkameen River.

[10] About 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) downstream from the fork, the settlement of Prince Town was laid-out on the hillside, but was soon abandoned.

[11] The name was in honour of Edward VII, future Prince of Wales, who made a royal visit to Eastern Canada in 1860.

[18] That year, a newspaper was launched, and the Allison townsite was laid out in the vicinity of the earlier Prince Town[19] (now encompassed by the Weyerhaeuser sawmill property).

In partnership with Edgar Dewdney, the Allison family in due course promoted a rival townsite called Norman about 8 kilometres (5 mi) farther downriver.

[20] Fires at the 40-room Princeton Hotel, which opened in 1912,[21] caused severe damage in 1930[22] and complete destruction in 2006.

In the 1990s, Princeton adopted a "heritage" theme, with many businesses converting their exteriors to match architectural styles from a century earlier.

The copper ore was originally found in 1883 and the first underground pit was opened in 1923 and continued running until 1957.

[28] After investing $1 million in infrastructure, The British Columbia Portland Cement Company plant opened about 3 kilometres (2 mi) northeast in 1913 but closed weeks later.

The providers of town electricity were Princeton Coal and Land 1911–1914 and then the copper mining company from 1915, running a line from the defunct cement plant.

In 1917, West Kootenay Power agreed to extend a line from Bonnington Falls dam.

[31] Although forestry and mining have been the dominant industries since that time,[32] tourism and agriculture developed in the latter half of the century,[33] and pharmaceutical cannabis production emerged around 2020.

[33] The town also has a diabetes clinic, a mental health drop-in centre, and various counseling services to address needs such as balanced nutrition and substance abuse.

[37] In July 1911, tracklaying continued westward through the tunnel excavated beneath Bromley Ridge.

In April 1915, the westward extension of the KV rail head crossed the Tulameen River and joined the GN track in Princeton.

Subsequently, First Nations provided an informal canoe service, but users demanded a government bridge because the ferry charges were considered exorbitant.

[62] Coalmont Road, which had formed the southern end, was replaced by the present section via Allison Lake.

[68] The summer bus service between Kaslo and Vancouver, instituted by a regional operator in June 2019, routed through Princeton.

[84] In the early 2020s, the downtown was again revitalized with the placement of bronze wildlife statues, sidewalk upgrades,[85] and visitor centre and RV campground enhancements, partially financed by a $750,000 federal government grant.

Important facilities are the Centennial Pool, 700-seat hockey arena, curling rink, and 14 local parks.