On the northeast side of the Columbia River adjacent to the mouth of Norns (formerly Pass) Creek, the residential area is part of Greater Castlegar.
Thomas appears to have acted as a front for his younger brother Gilbert Malcolm Sproat, and Arthur S. Farwell, both barred from real estate speculation as prominent public servants.
When Thomas secured his property as a Crown Grant in 1892, he sold it to Farwell's syndicate, who laid out the new town of Columbia, west of the creek.
In 1910 the Edgewood Lumber Company relocated its sawmill from Upper Arrow Lake to the old landing area, which became known as Mill Pond.
[2][3] In 1929, nearby Doukhobor communes bought, cleared, and established a commercial orchard on the northern part.
[5] Following a declining population for two decades, the government acquired and subdivided the land, first offering lots to existing residents.
Since the dividing line between Raspberry and Robson to the west is debatable, Robson-Raspberry is the unofficial amalgamation for census and improvement district purposes.