Cambridge

History

After European-American settlement in this area and before 1843, Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury owned a large plot of land that was later developed as the town of Cambridge. He was well known among the numerous Yankee settlers (migrants from New England and upstate New York, who were largely descended from the English colonists in New England) who were migrating to Henry County at that time. Reverend Pillsbury deeded a large portion of his land to the town council for use as a town plot. Lots were sold to incoming migrants and on June 9, 1843 (after some quarreling among the town founders about how to finance it) construction began on the town. They laid out roads, established post routes, and erected public buildings to attract new residents. The original settlers were almost entirely of New England origins or were Yankees from upstate New York, whose families had moved to that area in the period after the Revolutionary War. They were land hungry. As a result, Henry County was part of the Northern Tier, with its culture being closely aligned with that of upstate New York and early New England. Historically, Cambridge has been linked to nearby Bishop Hill, Illinois. This latter community was founded in 1846 by a sect of Swedish immigrants led by their prophet, Erik Janson. They had broken with the established Lutheran Church of Sweden, which did not tolerate much dissent. But for several years, local Americans and their Swedish neighbors traded and lived in peace. In 1850, Erik Janson was murdered by a former follower in the court house in Cambridge. The historic record reveals some tension between the Swedes in Bishop Hill and the residents of Cambridge. Also, the concentration of Swedish immigrants here attracted more of their countrymen to the Henry County area.…

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Cambridge has a total area of , of which (or 99.30%) is land and (or 0.70%) is water.

Most-observed species

• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  585
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  495
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  466
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  425
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  377
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  372
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  350
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  342

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2023-11-15
  1 km SSW of Standard, Illinois