Societies have changed dramatically over the past two centuries.  None are more notable than what has changed in America.  Since the first settlers in 1620, Americans have been fiercely independent, but were equally aware of the importance of family and their neighboring community for security, provisions, and spiritual support.  In the past century however, Americans have become increasingly isolated from one another to where, today, they rely on the government for their network of support.

When this nation was founded, pioneers gathered with one another to share community, faith, and skills.  Where one family was good at farming, another was good at blacksmithing, and yet another was good at medicinal practice.  The group, as a whole, were dependent on one another, making them successful as a community, even greater than the sum of their individual parts.   Eagle residents shared those attributes, providing land, food, social and spiritual support for all who settled here. 

The establishment of St. Theresa Catholic Church and the Methodist Church in Eagle met the spiritual needs of many members of the community, while others practiced their own religious beliefs freely.  The arrival of the railroad in 1851 provided farmers in Eagle and the surrounding area with new markets for the sale of products and opened up the area to new settlers.

When sickness or disease spread through the community, families shared their grief with one another.  When crops failed, families helped one another overcome those adversities.  And when death took its toll on families, others came to their rescue to fill the gap, sharing their hard work, family, and faith, thereby creating an unbreakable community bond. 

Today, Eagle is a bedroom community.  We are no longer reliant on one another as in days past.  Most residents leave their homes daily for work at jobs outside this community.  In fact, most people don’t know their neighbor’s names or families, and except for a wave, don’t even acknowledge one another.

Such is the state of modern society where food, merchandise, and friends are easily found online.  This is not unique to Eagle, but is shared nation-wide and is a part of our past that has been sadly lost.

Mike Rice
Historian, Eagle Historical Society

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