The Eagal Collection includes: 19th century Eagal family correspondence; family scrapbooks and photograph albums containing many images of early automobiles; business papers; published and typescript biographical material on John H. Eagal, Sr.; and, much printed matter pertaining to Ford Motor Co. operations in San Francisco and Stockton, Calif.

John H. Eagal Sr. was one of the earliest American automobile dealers. At the end of his life (1973) he was the oldest living Ford dealer. Eagal began his career as a Studebaker factory worker and mechanic. Studebaker sent him west to establish its first dealership in San Francisco (1907). He left Studebaker for Oldsmobile (1910), then took over San Francisco's original Ford agency, the William L. Hughson Co., in 1913. Eagal marketed the Fordson tractor (1917) and two years later moved to Stockton as Ford's salesman for this product. In 1920 he became Stockton's second Ford automobile dealer and there he remained for over fifty years. Eagal was active in the California State Automobile Dealers Association, serving as President (1937-38) and as a Director for fourteen years.

Collection is open for research.