Cambridge City, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Cambridge City is a town in Jackson Township
, Wayne County
, Indiana
, United States
. The population was 1,870 at the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
to the formation and growth of Cambridge City in the 19th century. Situated along the historic National Road
(U.S. 40), Cambridge City is currently a prominent destination for antique seekers and is the home of many notable American figures including:
During the 1990s, members of Cambridge City's historic preservation group Western Wayne Heritage, Inc. purchased the famous Vinton House hotel. Built in the 1840s to accommodate travelers on the newly opened Whitewater Canal and the National Road, Aaron Reisor opened the three-story hostelry on the Canal bank to run what at the time was one of Indiana's most opulent facilities. Founded in 1984, Western Wayne Heritage, Inc. has been instrumental in promoting the history and culture of the Cambridge City area during the recent antique-history tourist boom of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The Montgomery-Whitewater Chapter of the Indiana Junior Historical Society is located in Cambridge City and is sponsored by Lori Griffin, who was named by Mark Helmsing of the Indiana Council for History Education as an outstanding sponsor.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 2,121 people, 904 households, and 602 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,030.6 people per square mile (787.4/km²). There were 956 housing units at an average density of 915.3 per square mile (354.9/km²). 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.
and (until they closed in December 2011) Really Cool Foods.
Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana
Jackson Township is one of fifteen townships in Wayne County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,626.-Geography:Jackson Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.54 percent is water. Lakes in this township include Hi-Way Springs...
, Wayne County
Wayne County, Indiana
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,917. The county seat is Richmond.-History:...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,870 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Cambridge City is located at 39°48′47"N 85°10′15"W (39.812996, -85.170812).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
Notable Information
Cambridge City was platted on October 23, 1836 and celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 1986. 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 CanalWhitewater Canal
The Whitewater Canal, which was built between 1836 and 1847, spanned a distance of seventy-six miles and stretched from Lawrenceburg, Indiana on the Ohio River to Hagerstown, Indiana.-Birth of a canal:...
to the formation and growth of Cambridge City in the 19th century. Situated along the historic National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
(U.S. 40), Cambridge City is currently a prominent destination for antique seekers and is the home of many notable American figures including:
- Buckskin Ben - a famous show business personality of the 1890s
- "Single G" - a world famous pacer who won many horse races during the Great Depression
- Solomon MeredithSolomon MeredithSolomon Meredith was a prominent Indiana farmer, politician, and lawman who was a controversial Union Army general in the American Civil War...
- a Quaker general in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... - The Overbeck SistersOverbeck SistersThe Overbeck Sisters were four women potters and artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement who worked in Cambridge City, Indiana, from 1911 until 1955....
- four daughters of John and Sarah Overpeck who hand-produced their internationally-known Overbeck Art Pottery in Cambridge City from 1911–1955, noted for their Arts and CraftsArts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
designs, distinctive glazes and work in the grotesque style - Huddleston Farmhouse - The Huddleston FarmhouseHuddleston FarmhouseThe Huddleston Farmhouse Inn in Mount Auburn, Indiana, is an historic inn that once served travelers along the National Road. It was owned by former-Quaker John Huddleston who, with his wife Susannah, and 11 children, offered lodging, cooking materials, and a place for their horses to rest for the...
Inn & Museum is located right outside Cambridge City in the small village of Mt. Auburn on the National Road. It is the eastern regional office of Indiana Landmarks and the headquarters of the Indiana National Road Association. Cambridge City is noted for its abundance in historic architecture, specifically in the Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate styles. Famous structures include Rose Hill, the Conklin-Montgomery House, the Overbeck-Mattheis House, the Meredith-Rice House, the Bertsch House (home of the town's resident physician James Bertsch, D.O.), the Scheilder/Biser House, the Demwiddle-Mattingly House, the Martin Funk-Johnson House, the Fowler House, and many more. - Vinton House - The Vinton House of Cambridge City is a former hotel that was established in 1847. This building sits at the former intersection of the National Road (U.S 40) and the Whitewater Canal. The canal's turnaround basin rested just a few feet from the Vinton House's rear door, which brought in passengers and goods from Cincinnati.
During the 1990s, members of Cambridge City's historic preservation group Western Wayne Heritage, Inc. purchased the famous Vinton House hotel. Built in the 1840s to accommodate travelers on the newly opened Whitewater Canal and the National Road, Aaron Reisor opened the three-story hostelry on the Canal bank to run what at the time was one of Indiana's most opulent facilities. Founded in 1984, Western Wayne Heritage, Inc. has been instrumental in promoting the history and culture of the Cambridge City area during the recent antique-history tourist boom of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The Montgomery-Whitewater Chapter of the Indiana Junior Historical Society is located in Cambridge City and is sponsored by Lori Griffin, who was named by Mark Helmsing of the Indiana Council for History Education as an outstanding sponsor.
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,121 people, 904 households, and 602 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,030.6 people per square mile (787.4/km²). There were 956 housing units at an average density of 915.3 per square mile (354.9/km²). 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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
School Systems
Cambridge City has three schools, an elementary, middle, and high school that also serves the surrounding areas.- Western Wayne Elementary School
- Lincoln Middle School
- Lincoln High School
- School's Official Website
Business and Industry
Just south of I-70, Cambridge City is home to the Indiana Gateway Industrial Park which is home to Taconic Farms, Dot FoodsDot Foods
Dot Foods is the largest foodservice redistribution company in the United States. Dot offers over 100,000 products from 700 food industry manufacturers. Dot consolidates those products and delivers in less-than-truckload quantities to distributors nationwide on a weekly basis...
and (until they closed in December 2011) Really Cool Foods.