Founding year: the first Cambridge post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Cambridge’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cambridge is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cambridge’s overall grade.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cambridge’s 4.7 sits above most of its state (74% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Cambridge’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1885Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Cambridge, 1910–1917
Passages that mention Cambridge, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History and meaning of the proposed new charter for Cambridge1911 · page 70Read the page →
Read the text
We may take a little satisfaction here in Cambridge from the fact that they adopted this preferential ballot in Spokane very largely because they knew it had obtained such favor here in Cam¬ bridge ; it is very gratifying to me to feel that we here in Cambridge have helped teach the Pacific Slope progressivism. They simply worked out the charter and voted on it and got it into operation in a total campaign of six months. But there they require no action by the legislature for such a step. They have home rule for cities.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The King's scholars and King's Hall1917 · page 72Read the page →
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Item for the expenses of the aforesaid Richard and servant with two hired horses from Cambridge in following the bishop at a distance towards Lincoln for the aforesaid business, to no purpose as he could not catch him in the aforesaid town of Lincoln, staying in those parts and returning thence to Cambridge — 6 days. 12s. Sd.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Henry County, Illinois1910 · page 109Read the page →
Read the text
In the business circles of Cambridge John Hervey Seaton is prominent, being well known as the editor and publisher of the Cambridge Chief. It is true that he entered upon an enterprise already founded by his father, but nevertheless, in his capable control of its business and in his well directed efforts toward increasing its efficiency and circulation, he has manifested excellent qualities which rank him among the progressive and successful business men of Cambridge. His birth occurred on section i6, Wethersfield township, Henry county, on the 13th of September, 1865, and he is the son of Benjamin W.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The King's scholars and King's Hall1917 · page 73Read the page →
Read the text
Item for the expenses of the warden and his servant with two hired horses from Cambridge to the king at Windsor to obtain royal letters to the bishop to shew due favour that the vicars' portions should be fixed according to a moderate estimate and not beyond a third part of the benefice, and thence he went to the bishop at Lidington to present these letters, staying there and thence he returned to Cambridge.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Cambridge, 1844 to 1959
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Cambridge post office opened in 1844, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Cambridge rank for history?
Cambridge is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Cambridge?
One place: the Henry County Courthouse (listed 2004).
How old are the homes in Cambridge?
53% of Cambridge’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.0 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1938.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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