A huge bald eagle "hovering and curving over a large mound" east of here, inspired prospectors to name the area Eagle in 1836. Village of Eagle was platted at the coming of the Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad (1851) by Kline, Pitman, and Sprague. Business houses, schools, and a church sprang up here at Eagle Center.
By (1880) Eagle was third in commercial importance in the county with two drygoods stores, (Combs Bros, and Lins), two clothing and tailor shops, (Bessingham & Lins), two hardware stores (McWilliams & Lins), the Lins butcher shop, Bevins grocery & harness shop, millinery shop, 3 saloons, a 15,000 bushel capacity elevator and warehouse (Clemens & Hall), Klines's Hotel, a 3 story school house and Methodist Church.
Biggest sensation: 1876 discovery of 16-Karat diamond in the Tom Devdreaux' Well. After many lawsuits, fake mines, and several years at Tiffany's in New York, the stone, still uncut, was on display at the American Museum of Natural History until 1964 when it was stolen and never recovered. Here the Hill was renamed "Diamond Hill". A surveyor's benchmark is located at the site of the first depot that gave birth to Eagle.
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