In the late 1890s, John Cory Menhinick, mining recorder and engineer, pre-empted[3] 76 hectares (188 acres), being the first open space above the canyon[4] of Fish Creek/River (a common former name for the Incomappleux).

[3] In 1891, the initial trail for miners was cut to link with the northeast arm of Upper Arrow Lake.

[13] At the Eva mine, exploratory tunnelling was completed, a power plant was installed to operate 10 machine drills, and 4 hectares (10 acres) were purchased at the townsite for a 10-stamp mill and eventual aerial tramway.

[15][16] In 1904, fires destroyed the Oyster-Criterion laundry, cookhouse, and bunkhouse[17] and extensively damaged the Eva boarding house and tramway,[18] but the infrastructure was immediately rebuilt.

A new trail created for developing the adjacent Silver Dollar mine, switched the Beatrice ore hauling from via Ferguson to via Camborne.

[21] The next year, exploration work occurred on the Spider claim at the mouth of the Mohawk,[22] and a stamp mill and aerial tramway were installed at the Silver Dollar.

[26] Acquired by the Meridian Mining Co in 1932, the Eva and Oyster-Criterion infrastructure was restored and a new hydroelectricity dam and compressor house built.

[27] The next year, Meridian installed a new tramway, and the Mt Poole Mining Co acquired the Silver Dollar and Multiplex claims.

When the mine closed in 1959, all temporary buildings were removed,[35] and the site caretakers remained the only Camborne permanent residents.

[50] In 1901, two barbershops opened, the Eva Hotel was erected, a phone room was added to the Pendragon, and a police constable was appointed.

That year, the Camborne Miner newspaper was founded,[52] a jewellers opened, and a resident doctor arrived.

[56] In 1903, the budget Camborne Hotel opened,[54] as well as a new general store, with the second floor being available as a public hall.

About 3 kilometres (2 mi) north, on the west shore of the river at the mouth of Menhinick Creek,[74] the townsite of Goldfields was surveyed in 1901 to serve the Goldfinch claim.

[81] The mine closed that January, and a forest fire destroyed the bunkhouses and upper terminal of the tramway later in the year.

[62] In 1906, fire-damaged infrastructure was rebuilt,[82] but September flood damage included the sweeping away of the river bridge.