In January of 1839, a 20-man posse, led by land agent Rufus McIntyre and Sheriff Hastings Strikland, was sent north to capture the British land agent McLaughlin. On their way they noted a large number of white-headed eagles in the vicinity of the lake in T16 R7, so they named the lake Eagle Lake.

For almost 100 years, the site of the Old Mill Marina was used for manufacturing. In the late 80's the old lumber mill was converted to a 40 unit motel with a 300 seat restaurant and marina called the "Old Mill Marina". The expansive facility was destroyed by fire in 1994. The current owner purchased the property in 2002, installed new fuel tanks, RV sites and docks. The complex now includes 800 feet of water frontage, 12 RV sites, a docking system for boats, several rental units, a staging area for OMM Outfitters, and a meeting place for guests of Eagle Lake Sporting Camps.

The Lumber Mills and Manufacturing

In 1901, the manufacturing element of Eagle Lake was small. It consisted of one sawmill, one lumber mill, one shingle mill, two blacksmiths, and one carpenter. It was rapidly augmented the following year when the Fish River Manufacturing Company opened a mill in Eagle Lake. Its lumber operations harvested wood from surrounding townships to provide its mills in Eagle Lake, Winterville, and Howe Brook. Of those three operations, the one in Eagle Lake was the largest. The township's first village, per se, would develop around the mill complex and would become known as Eagle Lake Mills (1904) and later Eagle Lake (1911) when Plaisted became a separate postal district.

The Fish River Manufacturing Company's Eagle Lake operation occupied 150 acres or more of land on the lake's southwest corner. It consisted of a rotary sawmill, five planers, matchers, surfacers, a clapboard machine, and two lath machines. In addition to this there was a shingle mill equipped with six machines. Three engines with a total output of 750 horsepower and a battery of five boilers, one of which ran the shingle mill, made up the power plant. A 500-watt dynamo provided lights. Other properties included a fully equipped blacksmith shop and machine shop, a number of storehouses, 25 tenement houses, and a boardinghouse which accommodated 125 people. This mill complex had a daily output of 125,000 feet of long lumber, 100,000 shingles, 80,000 laths, and 4,500 clapboards.