Used by the Mi'kmaq in the years prior to European settlement, English Harbour East was permanently settled by the 1830s. George Dodge of England and his family were residents by 1835. English Harbour East's steady growth in the mid to late 19th century coincided with the success of the cod and herring fishery in
Fortune Bay. Its residents were primarily
fishermen and planters at the time. English Harbour East also significantly prospered in conjunction with the herring fishery and the sale of bait to United States traders. During this period, a Way Office was established in 1883 on July 1, and a post office was created with the first Postmistress being Annie Hackett in 1891. Beginning in the 1890s, the lobster fishery (including lobster factories) became a staple of income for many families in the town.
20th century By the mid-late 20th century, many workers of English Harbour East were forced to commute to work from outside the town. This pushed five families from 1965 and 1975 to resettle to the nearby towns of Harbour Mille, Harbour Breton, and Terrenceville. began in 1970 and completed shortly thereafter at an estimated cost of $200,000. The community was incorporated as a town in 1973 In 1996, in response to various vandalism complaints, the community adopted the COPs program which was operated in July 1996 by resident Shirley Kearley. In the first decade of the 21st Century, several
fishing sheds from abandoned communities elsewhere in Newfoundland were moved to English Harbour East and restored. ==Education==