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Cambridge, Maryland

Coordinates: 38°33′59″N 76°4′37″W / 38.56639°N 76.07694°W / 38.56639; -76.07694
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City of Cambridge, Maryland
City
Official seal of City of Cambridge, Maryland
Seal
Motto(s): 
"Living, Working, Relaxing...And Loving It" [1]
Location of Cambridge, Maryland
Location of Cambridge, Maryland
CountryUnited States
StateMaryland
CountyDorchester
Area
 • Total9.0 sq mi (2,300.3 km2)
 • Land6.7 sq mi (17.4 km2)
 • Water2.3 sq mi (5.8 km2)
Elevation
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total12,326
 • Density1,400/sq mi (5.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
21613
Area code410
FIPS code24-12400
GNIS feature ID0589879
WebsiteCity of Cambridge, Maryland

Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,326 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality. Cambridge is the fourth most populous city in Maryland's Eastern Shore region, after Salisbury, Elkton and Easton.[2]Template:GR

History

Cambridge Municipal Building

Settled by English colonists in 1684, Cambridge is one of the oldest colonial cities in Maryland.[3] At the time of English colonization, the Algonquian-speaking Choptank Indians were already living along the river of the same name. During the colonial years, the English colonists developed farming on the Eastern Shore. The largest plantations were devoted first to tobacco, and then mixed farming. Planters employed many enslaved Africans for tobacco but needed less labor for mixed farming. The town was a trading center for the area. It was incorporated officially in 1793,[4] and occupies part of the former Choptank Indian Reservation.[5] Cambridge was named after the town and county in England.[6]

Cambridge developed food processing industries in the late 19th century, canning oysters, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Industrial growth in Cambridge was led by the Phillips Packing Company, which eventually grew to become the area's largest employer. The company won contracts with the Department of Defense during the First and Second World wars that aided its growth. At its peak, it employed as many as 10,000 workers.[7] Changing tastes brought about a decline in business leading Phillips to downsize its operations. By the early 1960s the company ceased operations altogether. This led to widescale unemployment and added to the city's growing social problems.[8]

During the period from 1962 until 1967, Cambridge was a center of Civil Rights Movement protests as blacks sought access to work and housing. They also wanted to end racial segregation of schools and other public facilities. Race-related violence erupted in Cambridge in 1963 and 1967, and forces of the Maryland National Guard were assigned to the city to assist local authorities with peace-keeping efforts.[9] With the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, public segregation in Cambridge officially ended.

In 2002, the city's economy was boosted by jobs and tourism associated with the opening of the 400-room Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay resort. This resort includes a golf course, spa, and marina. The resort was the site of the 2007 US House Republican Conference, which included an address by U.S. President George W. Bush.[10]

Cambridge was designated a Maryland Main Street community on July 1, 2003. Cambridge Main Street is a comprehensive downtown revitalization process created by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. It plans to strengthen the economic potential of select cities around the state. The initiative has led to enhancements of its heritage tourism attractions. Together with other cities on the Eastern Shore, Cambridge is attracting more tourists. It has revitalized its downtown business district, part of which was designated a historical district in 1990.[11]

Four different teams in the old Eastern Shore Baseball League—the Canners, Cardinals, Clippers, and Dodgers—were located in Cambridge.

Geography

Cambridge is located at 38°33′59″N 76°4′37″W / 38.56639°N 76.07694°W / 38.56639; -76.07694 Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.0 square miles (23 km2), of which, 6.7 square miles (17 km2) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) of it (25.06%) is water.

Cambridge is on the southern bank of the Choptank River.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 10,911 people, 4,629 households, and 2,697 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,622.3 people per square mile (626.0/km²). There were 4,629 housing units at an average density of 777.6 per square mile (300.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.75% White, 49.9% Black, 0.16% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

There were 4,629 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were married couples living together, 23.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,967, and the median income for a family was $32,118. Males had a median income of $25,705 versus $21,221 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,647. About 17.2% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.

Media

WCEM broadcasts AM and FM radio from Cambridge.

The Dorchester Banner is a twice-weekly newspaper published in Cambridge. The paper was founded by Lindsay C. Marshall and Armistead R. Michie as The Daily Banner, notable for being the Eastern Shore's first daily newspaper. The first issue was published on September 22, 1897.[12]

WBOC operates a virtual studio at Long Wharf Marina. Weeknights they cover news affecting Cambridge and surrounding communities. This is known as their Mid-Shore Bureau.

Infrastructure

Transportation

U.S. Route 50, a major east-west route of the U.S. Highway System, bisects Cambridge on its 3,011 mile (4,846 km) journey from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California. U.S. 50 is locally known as "Ocean Gateway" and alternatively "Sunburst Highway".

The Cambridge-Dorchester Airport (FAA Identifier: CGE) is a county owned, public use airport located just southeast of the city of Cambridge. The airport is a general aviation facility with a lighted 4,477 foot asphalt runway.

The Maryland & Delaware Railroad (MDDE), a shortline railroad, provides freight rail service to Cambridge. The city is the western terminus of the railroad's Seaford line. The Maryland & Delaware interchanges with Norfolk Southern Railway at Seaford, Delaware to provide access to the vast North American rail network.

Notable people

Further reading

  • Peter B. Levy, Civil War on Race Street: The Civil Rights Movement in Cambridge, Maryland, Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 2003
  • John R. Wennersten, Maryland's Eastern Shore: A Journey in Time and Place, Centreville, Md.: Tidewater Publishers, 1992.

References

  1. ^ "City of Cambridge, Maryland". City of Cambridge, Maryland. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  2. ^ "American Factfinder Geographic Comparison Table: Maryland". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  3. ^ History Of Dorchester County, Maryland. Williams & Wilkins. p. 60.
  4. ^ "Cambridge, Maryland". City-Data.com. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  5. ^ "Cambridge".<http://www.mdmunicipal.org/cities/index.cfm?townname=cambridge> Cited April 6, 2009.
  6. ^ "Profile for Cambridge, Maryland, MD". ePodunk. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  7. ^ John R. Wennersten (August 14, 2006). "The Phillips Packing Company". In Beatriz B. Hardy (ed.). Maryland Online Encyclopedia (MdOE) (concept demonstration ed.). Maryland Historical Society, Maryland Humanities Council, Enoch Pratt Free Library, and Maryland State Department of Education. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
  8. ^ John R. Wennersten (August 14, 2006). "The Phillips Packing Company". In Beatriz B. Hardy (ed.). Maryland Online Encyclopedia (MdOE) (concept demonstration ed.). jointly by Maryland Historical Society, Maryland Humanities Council, Enoch Pratt Free Library, and Maryland State Department of Education. Retrieved January 21, 2008. When the Phillips Company ceased its operations in the 1960s, an era had passed.
  9. ^ Cambridge MD – 1962; Cambridge, MD – 1963 ~ Civil Rights Movement Veterans, accessed Mar 18, 2010
  10. ^ http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070126-3.html
  11. ^ "Cambridge Historic District, Wards I & III". Maryland's National Register Database. Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved January 21, 2008. Wards I and III of the Cambridge Historic District are a large residential, commercial, and governmental area in the northwest section of the city.
  12. ^ http://speccol.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/speccol/catalog/newspapers/cfm/dsp_number.cfm?id=413
  13. ^ http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/arthur-bea
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