Cambridge City, Indiana
Town of Cambridge City, Indiana | |
|---|---|
 Location in the state of Indiana | |
| County | Wayne |
| Population (2000) | |
• Total | 2,121 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (EST) |
Cambridge City is a town in Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,121 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Cambridge City is located at 39°48′47″N 85°10′15″W / 39.81306°N 85.17083°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (39.812996, -85.170812)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 km² (1.0 mi²), all land.
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 Canal 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:
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 Meredith - a Quaker general in the Civil War
The Overbeck Sisters - four daughters of John and Sarah Overbeck who hand-produced their internationally-known Overbeck Art Pottery in Cambridge City from 1911-1955, noted for their distinctive glazes and work in the grotesque style
The Huddleston Farmhouse 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 the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana 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.
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
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 2,121 people, 904 households, and 602 families residing in the town. The population density was 787.4/km² (2,030.6/mi²). There were 956 housing units at an average density of 354.9/km² (915.3/mi²). 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.
School Systems
There are three school systems located in Cambridge City, Indiana. They are an elementary school, middle school and high school and are as follows:
- Western Wayne Elementary School
- Lincoln Middle School
- Lincoln High School