Cambridge City, Indiana

History

Cambridge City was laid out and platted in 1836. The community was named after the city of Cambridge, in England.

The Cambridge City post office has been in operation since 1835.

Cambridge City experienced growth when the Whitewater Canal was extended to that point in 1846.

Situated along the historic National Road (U.S. Route 40), Cambridge City is currently a prominent destination for antique seekers.

The Cambridge City Historic District, Conklin-Montgomery House, and Lackey-Overbeck House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Cambridge City has a total area of 1.02 sqmi, of which 1.01 sqmi (or 99.02%) is land and 0.01 sqmi (or 0.98%) is water.{{cite web |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213045022/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1809874 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,870 people, 785 households, and 514 families living in the town. The population density was 1851.5 PD/sqmi. There were 893 housing units at an average density of 884.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.5% White, 0.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 785 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.5% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the town was 39.8 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,121 people, 904 households, and 602 families living in the town. The population density was 2,030.6 PD/sqmi. There were 956 housing units at an average density of 915.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.34% White, 0.33% African American, 0.09% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population.

There were 904 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $41,731. Males had a median income of $35,602 versus $23,100 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,691. About 6.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

The town celebrates its history and heritage during the second weekend in each September during the annual Canal Days festival, which commemorates the importance of the Whitewater Canal to the formation and growth of Cambridge City in the 19th century.

Education

Cambridge City has two schools: an elementary school and a middle/high school that serve the surrounding areas.

• Western Wayne Elementary School
• Lincoln Middle/High School

The town has a lending library, the Cambridge City Public Library.

Economy

Just south of I-70, Cambridge City is home to the Indiana Gateway Industrial Park which is home to Taconic Biosciences, Dot Foods and Sugar Creek Packaging Co. (replacing Really Cool Foods which closed in December 2011).

Notable people

• Alice Williams Brotherton (1848–1930), writer
• Larry Crockett (1926–1955), Indy car driver
• Arthur Ernest Guedel (1883–1956), anesthesiologist
• Solomon Meredith (1810–1875), a Quaker general in the American Civil War
• Virginia Claypool Meredith (1848–1936), "Queen of American Agriculture"; ran a farm in Cambridge City
• The Overbeck Sisters – four daughters of John and Sarah Overpeck who hand-produced their internationally known Overbeck Art Pottery in Cambridge City from 1911 to 1955

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
3. {{GNIS. 2396623
4. (1884). "History of Wayne County, Indiana: Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns, Volume 2". Inter-State Publishing Company.
5. "Historical Timeline". WayNet.
6. Dept. of English and Journalism. (1970–1972). "Indiana names, v.1-3". Indiana State University.
7. "Wayne County". Jim Forte Postal History.
8. Young, Andrew White. (1872). "History of Wayne County, Indiana, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time". R. Clarke & Company.
9. {{NRISref
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
11. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
12. "Schools". Western Wayne Schools.
13. "Indiana public library directory". Indiana State Library.