A history of Cambridge,
since 1793
Postcards, papers and photographs of Cambridge from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Settled by English colonists in 1684, Cambridge is one of the oldest colonial cities in Maryland. During the time of English colonization, the Algonquian-speaking Choptank Indians resided along the river bearing their name. Throughout the colonial years, English colonists developed farming on the Eastern Shore, with the largest plantations initially focusing on tobacco, before shifting to mixed farming. Cambridge served as a regional trading center, with its town pier being a major hub. Its history is extensively documented by historical markers scattered throughout the town center.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Cambridge’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewMaryland, 1917: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Cambridge
See all 23 →
Cambridge, decade by decade
CommonsBird's-eye view, Cambridge, Maryland (72410)c. 1930
CommonsChoptank River Bridge, Cambridge, Maryland (72404)c. 1930
CommonsDr. Steels Tulip Garden, Cambridge, Maryland (72405)c. 1930
CommonsEmerson E. Harrington Bridge on Choptank River, Cambridge, …c. 1930
CommonsHumbrook's Bay, Cambridge, Maryland (72412)c. 19301990s
11 historic places in Cambridge
Cambridge has 11 listings on the National Register, and they protect 1,255 historic buildings, because Cambridge Historic District, Wards I and III alone counts 672.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Harriet Tubman Reward Notice 1849 (1849) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (9) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.