The hamlet owes its name to its first postmaster and general store proprietor, John Chauncey Eggenberger. Eggenberger originally hailed from Deadwood, South Dakota, and chose to name the new Canadian settlement after his American hometown when he moved north with two carloads of settlers. The Post Office opened on December 1, 1930. The original settlement—which included the first general store, post office, and community hall—was established a few miles west of where the hamlet sits today along Highway 690.

Over subsequent decades, the area developed typical rural northern outpost amenities, including a blacksmith shop, a service station, and local churches. The first town hall, built early on, was eventually demolished in 1936, and a replacement community hall was constructed primarily through volunteer labor in February 1979. The local school eventually became a central hub for the community. When it ceased regular operations as a school, the building was adapted to house the local post office, a small store named "School Daze," and a pool room.