The J.H and C.K. Eagle Silk Mill in Shamokin, reputed to be one of the largest textile mills in the United States under one roof, employed thousands of people for more than 60 years. The multi-level brick building fronting North Franklin Street and stretching a block of East Water Street was named after brothers John H. and Charles K. Eagle, who operated the J.H and C.K. Eagle Silk Co. in the region for more than two decades. Their first mill in the immediate area stood along Arch Street in Coal Township, between Eagle Avenue and Ash Street. Between 1916 and 1917, teams of men built the Shamokin mill with 500,000 square foot of floor space. A sculptural eagle stood above the main entrance, and a cupola containing a four-sided clock and a 3-ton bell topped the building. In 1923, the company employed some 6,000 people in Shamokin and its satellite plants. After the company folded in 1938, various businesses occupied the mill. The last was Sham-O-Kin Shoe Corp., which closed in December 1980. After years of deterioration, the city razed the mill in 1995, but only after removing the cupola, bell, and eagle. The cupola was sold for scrap after an unsuccessful community effort to save it, while the bell and eagle were kept in storage for more than 20 years and appeared only in a few parades and community events until Citizens For a Better Community gave them a new permanent place for all to see.