Editing Eagle Lake, Texas

{{short description|City in Colorado County, Texas, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{refimprove|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Eagle Lake
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Aeaglelake.jpg
| imagesize                = 250px
| image_caption            = The 100 block of McCarty Ave, part of the Eagle Lake Commercial Historic District <!-- located in Eagle Lake, Texas. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 2007. -->
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Colorado County EagleLake.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Eagle Lake, Texas

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Colorado County, Texas|Colorado]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 7.61
| area_land_km2            = 7.59
| area_water_km2           = 0.02
| area_total_sq_mi         = 2.94
| area_land_sq_mi          = 2.93
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 3442
| population_density_km2   = 497.54
| population_density_sq_mi = 1288.64

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 53
| elevation_ft             = 174
| coordinates              = {{coord|29|35|16|N|96|19|48|W|region:US-TX|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 77434
| area_code                = [[Area code 979|979]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 48-21844<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1334847<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|coeltx.net}}
| footnotes                = 
}}
'''Eagle Lake''' is a city in southeastern [[Colorado County, Texas|Colorado County]], [[Texas]], United States. The population was 3,442 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4821844| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Eagle Lake city, Texas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=August 4, 2015| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213044557/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4821844| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> It is home to a golf course, the largest private lake in Texas,<ref>[http://www.coeltx.net/about-us.html ''coeltx.net'']</ref> and the Eagle Lake Regional Airport, which serves light aircraft.

The lake, along with adjacent rice paddies, attracts a large variety of [[migratory bird]]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.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000112 MANSFIELD, Joseph Jefferson - Biographical Information<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Geography==
Eagle Lake is located in eastern Colorado County at {{Coord|29.587790|-96.330128|type:city_region:US|format=dms|display=inline}}.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

[[U.S. Route 90 Alternate (Texas)|U.S. Route&nbsp;90 Alternate]] (US&nbsp;90 Alt.) travels through Eagle Lake, leading east {{convert|66|mi}} to [[Houston]] and west {{convert|38|mi}} to [[Hallettsville, Texas|Hallettsville]]. Eagle Lake is {{convert|16|mi}} southeast of [[Columbus, Texas|Columbus]], the Colorado County seat.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city of Eagle Lake has a total area of {{convert|7.2|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.01|sqkm|order=flip|3}}, or 0.19%, is covered by water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

<gallery>
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
</gallery>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 406
|1890= 769
|1900= 1107
|1910= 1717
|1920= 2017
|1930= 2343
|1940= 2124
|1950= 2787
|1960= 3565
|1970= 3587
|1980= 3921
|1990= 3551
|2000= 3664
|2010= 3639
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
|2020=3442}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Eagle Lake racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4821844&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|678
|19.7%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|681
|19.79%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|4
|0.12%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|6
|0.17%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|10
|0.29%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|46
|1.34%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|2,017
|58.6%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''3,442'''
|
|}
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]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, 3,664 people, 1,296 households, and 935 families resided in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,344.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 1,500 housing units averaged 550.5/sq&nbsp;mi (212.9/km<sup>2</sup>). The [[Race (United States Census)|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 [[Marriage|married couples]] 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]] being the main crop. Other key products include cotton, grain, and cattle, along with sand and gravel from mines in the surrounding area. <!-- The city aims to diversify its economy by bringing in manufacturing companies. -->

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]] for the city was $12,426. About 15.0% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

<gallery>
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
</gallery>

==Education==
Eagle Lake is served by the [[Rice Consolidated Independent School District]].

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]].<ref>[http://www.wintermannlibrary.org/ Library website]</ref> 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]].<ref>[https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm 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]] (1902–1959), professional baseball player
* [[Ryan Trahan]] (born 1998), YouTube creator and entrepreneur

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

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas}}
* [[Continental Express Flight 2574]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{notelist}}

==External links==
* [http://coeltx.net/ City of Eagle Lake official website]
* [http://www.eaglelakeheadlight.com ''Eagle Lake Headlight'' Online]

{{Colorado County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:Cities in Colorado County, Texas]]