Before 1843, the land where Cambridge is currently located was the private property of a man named Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury, who was very well known amongst the Yankee settlers who were moving to Henry County in large numbers at that time. Reverend Pillsbury deeded a large portion of his land to the town council and they immediately agreed it was a good place to lay out a town. Lots were sold to incoming migrants and on June 9 of 1843 construction began on the town. Roads were laid out, post routes established, public buildings erected and people were invited to move there. The original settlers were entirely of New England origins or were Yankees from upstate New York whose families had moved to that place from New England only one generation earlier, in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. This resulted in Henry County being culturally very contiguous with early New England culture.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Cambridge has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 2,180 people, 856 households, and 595 families in the village. The population density was 1,540.2 people per square mile. There were 896 housing units at an average density of 633.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 98.17% White, 0.78% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46%. Of the 856 households 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.2% of households were one person and 14.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95. The age distribution was 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males. The median household income was $38,636 and the median family income was $46,786. Males had a median income of $31,442 versus $20,129 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,842. About 8.1% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over. 2010 Census According to the 2010 Census, the population was 2,160. Of this, 2,077 were White, 35 were black or African American, 26 were two or more races, 13 were Asian, 7 were American Indian or Alaska Native, 2 were some other race. 45 were Hispanic or Latino
Cambridge has a single school district, School District #227, which includes a single elementary school, junior high, and high school. The high school graduates around 50-60 students annually. Like many small towns, the cultural life of the community revolves around the arts and sports related to the school. The elementary school was selected as a 2006 Blue Ribbon School, part of the No Child Left Behind Act. It was one of only 18 selected in Illinois.
Links to Bishop Hill
Historically, Cambridge has been linked to nearby Bishop Hill, Illinois. Bishop Hill was founded in 1846 by a sect of Swedish immigrants led by their prophet, Erik Janson. 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. Additionally, the influx of Swedish immigrants attracted additional immigrants from Sweden to the Henry County area. As the population grew, they called for religious leadership from the LutheranChurch of Sweden, an official branch of the Swedish government. Before they fled from Sweden, Erik Janson and his followers had a contentious break from the Lutheran Church. The Cambridge Lutheran church was established as an offshoot of Lars Paul Esbjörn's Augustana Lutheran Church in nearby Andover, Illinois. This religious-related tension would remain between the Augustana Lutherans and the people of Bishop Hill well into the late 20th century. For more information on Cambridge's relationship with Bishop Hill see Troy Swanson's "Those Crazy Swedes: Outside Influence on the Bishop Hill Colony" in Nobler things to View: Collected Essays on the Erik-Janssonists published by the Bishop Hill Heritage Association in 1998. Brian Phelps
