Eagle Lake is a city in southeastern

Colorado County Colorado County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 20,557. Its county seat is Columbus. It is named for the Colorado River of Texas. The county was founded in 1836 and organized the next ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. The population was 3,442 at the 2020 census. It is home to a golf course, the largest private lake in Texas, and the Eagle Lake Regional Airport, which serves light aircraft. The lake, along with adjacent rice paddies, attracts a large variety of

migratory bird Bird migration is a seasonal movement of birds between breeding and wintering grounds that occurs twice a year. It is typically from north to south or from south to north. Migration is inherently risky, due to predation and mortality. Th ...

s. The city is known as the "Goose-hunting Capital of the World" and also borders a wildlife preserve.

History

The first newspaper in Eagle Lake was established by Joseph J. Mansfield in 1888.

Geography

Eagle Lake is located in eastern Colorado County at . U.S. Route 90 Alternate (US 90 Alt.) travels through Eagle Lake, leading east to

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

and west to Hallettsville. Eagle Lake is southeast of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...

, the Colorado County seat. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city of Eagle Lake has a total area of , of which , or 0.19%, is covered by water. Image:Eagle Lake TX Lake.JPG, The eponymous Eagle Lake from the north side Image:Eagle Lake TX Sugarcane Marker.JPG, Site of a sugar cane factory on FM 102 Image:Eagle Lake TX Municipal Building.JPG, Municipal building on FM 102 in downtown area

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,442 people, 1,109 households, and 782 families residing in the city. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, 3,664 people, 1,296 households, and 935 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 1,500 housing units averaged 550.5/sq mi (212.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.78% White, 23.39% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 20.47% from other races, and 2.67% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 44.21% of the population. Of the 1,296 households, 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were not families. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.31. In the city, the population was distributed as 29.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

Economy

Historically, Eagle Lake has been an agricultural community, with

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

being the main crop. Other key products include cotton, grain, and cattle, along with sand and gravel from mines in the surrounding area. In the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $27,101, and for a family was $29,201. Males had a median income of $26,025 versus $20,299 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $12,426. About 15.0% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over. Image:Eagle Lake TX Sign.JPG, City limit sign with Eagle Lake Rice Dryer in the background Image:Eagle Lake Tx Rice Culture Marker.JPG, Historical marker explains Eagle Lake's rice farming Image:Eagle Lake TX County Rice Mill.JPG, Colorado County Rice Mill on US 90A and Union Pacific Railroad

Education

Eagle Lake is served by the

Rice Consolidated Independent School District Rice Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Altair, Texas (USA). In addition to Altair, the district serves the city of Eagle Lake, the communities of Garwood and Sheridan, as well as ...

. The Eula and David Wintermann Library is the public library in the city, opened on February 9, 1975. Mr. and Mrs. David R. Wintermann had originally proposed to erect and furnish the new library building in 1973. Architect for the project was Arthur J. Willrodt of

Columbus, Texas Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Colorado County, Texas, Colorado County in southeastern Texas, United States. The population was 3,699 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, 2020 census. It is located on the Colorado River (Texas), Colorado Riv ...

. It replaced the existing library, which was housed in a small portion of the Community Center. The designated community college for Rice CISD is

Wharton County Junior College Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) is a public community college with its main campus in Wharton, Texas. The college also has campuses in Richmond, Sugar Land, and Bay City. WCJC offers a range of postsecondary educational prog ...

.Texas Education Code Sec. 130.211. WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
/ref> The Winterman Estate is now owned by Trenton Kelley.

Notable people

Howie Fitzgerald Howard Chumney Fitzgerald (May 16, 1902 – February 26, 1959) was an American professional baseball outfielder. Born in Eagle Lake, Texas, he batted and threw left-handed. Biography Fitzgerald's professional baseball career spanned 1922–1933 ...

(1902–1959), professional baseball player *

Ryan Trahan Ryan Michael Trahan ( ; born October 7, 1998) is an American YouTuber, vlogger, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his "penny series", which he has done several times since 2017. Trahan owns multiple businesses, including his water bottle b ...

(born 1998), YouTube creator and entrepreneur

Media

The city is served by a weekly newspaper, the ''Colorado County Citizen''.

References

External links

City of Eagle Lake official website

''Eagle Lake Headlight'' Online
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Colorado County, Texas