Cambridge, Illinois

The land on which the town of Cambridge now stands was, prior to the year 1843, the property of Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury, so well known in the early history of the New York and New England 'Colonies' finding homes in Henry County. As soon as the site received legislative sanction - the act having passed that body February -1, 1843, - he deeded to the Board of County Commissioners, at a special meeting held on April 19, 1843, the fractional parts of two forty-acre lots. These were at once accepted, and steps taken to lay out a town. A contract had been made between the county and Geo. Brandenburg and Corey for constructing a jail and court-house at Morristown. A small frame court-house was already built, but at this time was still unfinished, and but little work had been done on the jail. By consent of these parties this contract was annulled, the settlement being left to Marcus B. Osborn, N. W. Washburn and Luke C. Sheldon, as referees. They gave their decision at the regular term of the court, held on the 6th of June following. This was to pay the contractors fl27.2(>, and keep the building. A day or two after the court met again, at the cabin commenced by J. Tillson and finished by A. H. Showers, in Sugar Tree Grove, for the transaction of any business relating to the new town.

Passage source: History of Henry County, Illinois : It's Taxpayers and Voters; Containing Also, a Biographical Directory, a Condensed History of the State; Map of the County; a Business Directory...etc, published 1877.

It was ordered that the Court proceed forthwith to the sale of lots in Cambridge, on the following terms : One-third to be paid in six months after date of sale ; one-third in twelve months, and the remainder in eighteen months ; and that purchasers have the privilege of paying in building materials, on or before the 1st day of the September following. George McHenry, being in his place as auctioneer, a full board, and a good attendance of citizens, the sale proceeded. Twenty lots were sold on that occasion, aggregating the sum of $558. For the benefit of those interested, the list of purchasers and number of lot, and amount of sale, in the order in which they appear on record, are given: Joseph Tillson,

Passage source: History of Henry County, Illinois : It's Taxpayers and Voters; Containing Also, a Biographical Directory, a Condensed History of the State; Map of the County; a Business Directory...etc, published 1877.

To effect a healthy growth in the new town, roads must be opened, post routes established through it. and a post-office in it, and public buildings had to be erected and population invited. The sequel will show that many opposed to the growth of the place scarcely ceased to underrate the locality and its facilities for a healthy growth, and the idea of settling in it or about it was often derided. A mail route leading from Wethersfield to Geneseo was established through the place, and for a while the few inhabitants enjoyed the luxury of a semi-weekly mail from Peoria. By some means the route was altered so as to leave Cambridge out. Previous to the change of route by the department, the carrier refused to go to Cambridge, but would throw out a bag of mail matter put up at Wethersfield expressly for Cambridge, at the " Corners," ten miles east of town. No office being there, a boy employed for the purpose would proceed at his leisure, pick up the bag and take it to its destination. More than once mail matter has been sent from Cambridge for the east and returned at the end of the weeTc with other mutter designed for Cambridge. Those who had important business to transact were afraid to mail their letters at the county town, because of the delays to which its mail was subjected. Many and unsuccessful were the efforts to have that route re-established through the village, nor till 1856 had the tardy justice of a tri-weekly mail from Geneseo to Kewanee been accorded to the county town. A weekly mail from Princeton, in Bureau County, to Millersburg or New Boston, on the Mississippi River, was the only one from which, for several years, news from the east could be obcained. A weekly mail running from Rouk Island to Cambridge was also established for the particular benefit of the settlements between the two places. For a short time, about the year 1853, a route was established from a point on the Illinois River, known as Lancaster, to Cambridge ; but it afforded no conveniences for any office on the route, and was soon discontinued. The mail to Rock Island was carried for many years by a Mr. Robinson, familiarly known as " Uncle Bobby." He was a very honest, trusty man, and made more money by attending to errands at Rock Island for his neighbors than by carrying the mail.

Passage source: History of Henry County, Illinois : It's Taxpayers and Voters; Containing Also, a Biographical Directory, a Condensed History of the State; Map of the County; a Business Directory...etc, published 1877.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Cambridge Township - it names this place 164 more 164 times.