Cambridge, Maryland
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Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, United States. The population was 13,096 at the 2020 census. It is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality. Cambridge is the fourth most populous city in Maryland's Eastern Shore region, after
Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
, Elkton and Easton. Almost half of Cambridge's residents were African American in 2020.


History


Colonial era

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. Enslaved people were purchased by the planters for labor in tobacco and mixed farming. Cambridge served as a regional trading center, with its town pier being a major hub for slave trading, a history extensively documented by historical markers scattered throughout the town center.


National era

Cambridge was officially incorporated in 1793, taking over part of the former Choptank Indian Reservation. The town received its name from a city and county in England. Cambridge also became a stop on the Underground Railroad, which provided a network of safe houses for enslaved people escaping to the north. In the late 19th century, Cambridge developed food processing industries, specializing in the canning of oysters, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes. The town's industrial growth was led by the Phillips Packing Company, which eventually became the region's largest employer. Winning contracts from the Department of Defense during the First and Second World Wars greatly aided the company's growth. At its height, the company employed as many as 10,000 workers. However, shifting tastes brought a decline in business, causing Phillips to reduce its operations. By the early 1960s, the company had ceased operations entirely, leading to widespread unemployment and exacerbating the city's growing social issues.


Cambridge movement

From 1962 to 1967, Cambridge was a center of protests during the Civil Rights Movement, with local Black residents advocating for equal employment and housing opportunities, as well as the eradication of racial segregation in schools and other public facilities. Riots broke out in Cambridge in 1963 and 1967, prompting the deployment of the Maryland National Guard to the city to help maintain peace. The movement's leader was Gloria Richardson, and with the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, public segregation in Cambridge officially ended.


Present

In 2002, the opening of the 400-room Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay resort provided a significant boost to the city's economy through job creation and tourism. The resort features a golf course, spa, and marina, and has hosted numerous high-profile events, including the 2007 U.S. House Republican Conference, featuring an address by U.S. President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
, as well as subsequent visits by U.S. President Barack Obama. Cambridge was designated a Maryland Main Street community on July 1, 2003. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development established Cambridge Main Street as a comprehensive downtown revitalization process with plans to enhance the economic potential of select cities across the state. This initiative has led to the improvement of heritage tourism attractions and, along with other cities on the Eastern Shore, has contributed to attracting more tourists to Cambridge. As a result, the downtown business district of Cambridge, part of which was declared a
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
in 1990, has undergone revitalization. Four different teams in the old Eastern Shore Baseball Leaguethe Canners, Cardinals, Clippers, and Dodgerswere located in Cambridge. The Brinsfield I Site, Cambridge Historic District, Wards I and III, Christ Episcopal Church and Cemetery, Dale's Right, Dorchester County Courthouse and Jail,
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, Goldsborough House, LaGrange, Annie Oakley House, Patricia (log canoe), Pine Street Neighborhood Historic District, Rock Methodist Episcopal Church, Stanley Institute, Sycamore Cottage, and Yarmouth are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


Geography

Cambridge is located at . According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Cambridge is on the southern bank of the Choptank River.


Climate and climate mitigation

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Cambridge has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. A 4.3 MW solar farm in Cambridge supplies about 40% of the power for the National Aquarium, and saves about 1,300 metric tons of
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...
during the summer.


Demographics


2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' Per the 2020 Census, the population was 16,823.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 12,326 people, 5,144 households, and 3,040 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,228 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 47.9% Black or African American, 45.9%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population. There were 5,144 households, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.0% were married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.8% male and 54.2% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,911 people, 4,629 households, and 2,697 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,629 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 47.75%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 49.9% Black, 0.16% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.61% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
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 age distribution of the population shows 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.


Popular culture

Cambridge was the inspiration of the fictional town Patamoke in James Michener's novel, '' Chesapeake.'' In the book, Patamoke is located on a fictitious promontory on the Choptank River, opposite of Cambridge's actual location.


Media

Draper Media broadcasts WCEM (AM), WCEM-FM, WTDK-FM and WAAI-FM radio stations from studios at Cambridge Marketplace. This facility also serves as the home to the Mid-Shore Bureau for WBOC-TV. Weeknights, they cover news affecting Cambridge and surrounding communities. WHCP-LP 101.5 FM is a community sponsored low powered station broadcasting from studios in downtown Cambridge. Cambridge is home to two weekly newspapers: the Dorchester Star, which is affiliated with the Star-Democrat, and the Dorchester Banner. The Dorchester Banner 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.


Infrastructure


Transportation

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
, a major east-west route of the U.S. Highway System, bisects Cambridge on its journey from Ocean City, Maryland to
Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
. U.S. 50 is locally known as "Ocean Gateway", with the segment running from the Choptank River to Cambridge's eastern city limit designated "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, provided freight rail service to Cambridge until recently. The city had served as the western terminus of the railroad's Seaford Line. The Maryland & Delaware interchanges with the Delmarva Central Railroad at Seaford, Delaware, which interchanges with the Norfolk Southern Railway at Clayton, Delaware. The line remains in place, though rail service was suspended in May 2016 due to derailment issues along the line south of Hurlock, Maryland.


Government


City Commission

Cambridge is governed by a mayor and a five-member city commission, who all serve four year terms. In 2008, Victoria Jackson-Stanley was elected mayor, the first woman and the first African-American to hold the position. She would serve three terms before losing to Andrew Bradshaw in a runoff election in 2020. Andrew Bradshaw was sworn in as the city's youngest mayor on January 4, 2021, but was arrested on November 15 and charged with fifty counts of distributing revenge porn, allegedly posting explicit photos and captions to Reddit in April and May 2021, some which also included racial slurs. City Council President Lajan Cephas assumed the responsibilities of mayor following his arrest. On December 13, city commissioners unanimously voted to recommend that the city attorney remove Bradshaw from office. A special election to elect a new mayor was held on August 23, 2022. No candidate received the majority of the vote, forcing a runoff between the top two candidates on September 20, 2022. Former Cambridge commissioner Stephen Rideout won the runoff election with 55 percent of the vote and now is mayor.


List of mayors (1896-present)

* 1896-1900 James G. James * 1900-1904 Robert G. Henry * 1904-1908 Clement G. Rogers * 1908-1910 Zebedee Andrews * 1910-1912 George M. Phillips * 1912-1916 Clement G. Rogers * 1916-1932 Earl W. Orem * 1932-1940 Charles E. Brohawn * 1940-1944 Irving B. Jackson * 1944-1948 Dorsey E. Davis * 1948-1952 Julian L. Tubman * 1952-1960 Russell P. Smith, Jr. * 1960-1964 Calvin W. Mowbray * 1964-1976 Osvrey C. Pritchett * 1976-1980 Albert B. Atkinson * 1980-1992 C. Lloyd Robbins * 1992-2000 David J. Wooten, Jr. * 2000-2008 Cleveland L. Rippons * 2008-2020 Victoria Jackson-Stanley * 2020-2022 Andrew T. Bradshaw * 2022–2025 Stephen Rideout * 2025–Present Lajan Cephas


Horn Point Laboratory

Horn Point Laboratory is home to the largest oyster hatchery on the East Coast. A myth states that in 1699 William Kidd hid treasure, stolen from sugar traders, on land which today is Horn Point Lab. Students and researchers enjoy speculating where the treasure may be.


Notable people

* James A. Adkins, 28th Adjutant General of Maryland and former Secretary of Veterans Affairs of Maryland * Beatrice Arthur, also known as Bea Arthur (1922–2009), Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress; star of the television sitcoms '' Maude'' and ''
The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...
''; grew up in Cambridge, where her parents owned and operated a clothing store; voted "wittiest girl" by classmates at Cambridge High School * John Barth (1930–2024), writer, born in Cambridge * Stephen Allen Benson (1816–1865), second President of Liberia * Troy Brohawn (born 1973), retired
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player with the Arizona Diamondbacks * Norman Chaney (1914–1936), played Chubby on ''Our Comedy'', also known as ''The Little Rascals'', 1928-30 * Darnell Clash (born 1962), former professional football player in Canada * Willis Conover (1920–1996), "Voice of America" DJ, lived in Cambridge during the late 1930s * Richard Ben Cramer, journalist and author * Shawn Corey Carter, also known as Jay-Z (born 1969), lived in Cambridge for a short period, before pursuing a music career * Charles Goldsborough (July 15, 1765 – December 13, 1834), State Senator 1791–1795 and 1799–1801, U.S. Congressman 1789–1791, Governor of Maryland 1818–1819 * Phillips Lee Goldsborough (August 6, 1865 – October 22, 1946), a member of the
Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), is a Right-wing politics, right-wing political parties in the United States, political party in the United States. One of the Two-party system, two major parties, it emerged as t ...
, was a United States Senator representing State of Maryland from 1929 to 1935, 47th Governor of Maryland from 1912 to 1916 and Comptroller of the Maryland Treasury from 1898 to 1900 * Emerson Columbus Harrington (March 26, 1864 – December 15, 1945), 48th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1916 to 1920, Comptroller of the Maryland Treasury from 1912 to 1916 * Christopher Harrison, (1780 – 1868), 1st Lieutenant Governor of Indiana * Thomas Holliday Hicks (September 2, 1798 – February 14, 1865), 31st Governor of Maryland (January 13, 1858 – January 8, 1862), buried in Cambridge Cemetery * Arty Hill, country singer, was raised here * Kripp Johnson, singer of The Del-Vikings * Antwan Lake, NFL defensive end who played with the Detroit Lions,
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, and New Orleans Saints * Henry Lloyd (February 21, 1852 – December 30, 1920), 40th Governor of Maryland (1885 to 1888); lived in Dorchester County and Cambridge * Carolyn Long, opera singer * William Vans Murray, U.S. Congressman for Maryland's 5th District, 1789–1791 * Annie Oakley, sharpshooter, lived in Cambridge from 1913 to 1915 * Charles Quinn, reporter for NBC News from 1962 to 1980 * Gloria Richardson (1922–2021), leader of the Cambridge movement during the Civil Rights Movement, 1962–1964 * Sheriff Robinson, baseball player and coach * Herbert M. St. Clair (1868–1949) businessman, real estate investor, local politician * Harriet Tubman (1822–1913), escaped slave and activist on the Underground Railroad


References


Further reading

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


External links


Cambridge, MD Official Website
* * {{authority control Cities in Dorchester County, Maryland County seats in Maryland Micropolitan areas of Maryland . English-American culture in Maryland Populated places in colonial Maryland 1684 establishments in Maryland Cities in Maryland