History of Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge, the county seat of Dorchester County, and one of the oldest towns in the state of Maryland, settled in April of 1684. Located on the widely known Choptank River, the land that was to become Cambridge was part of the Choptank Indian Reservation. Touted by authors James Michener and John Barth, Cambridge is known for its lovely shaded streets, beautiful buildings, and rich maritime heritage. The architectural landscape tells a story from early settlers who harvested the rich land and water, to the community's rise to affluence at the turn of the century and on through today's industrial parks and quiet residential neighborhoods.
Our development as a City was shaped by our abundance of natural resources and access by water. The principal occupations of early settlers were fishing, agriculture, and boat building so the people of Dorchester relied on the land and water.
The town developed slowly incorporating in 1794. The wealthiest of the town continued to prosper through the Civil War. The town of Cambridge was an area of growth due to the completion of the Dorchester and Delaware Railroad and a growing oyster and manufacturing industry. By the mid-1800's the first large manufacturing industry was located on the east side of Cambridge Creek. Large lumber and flourmills supplied timber to the Central Pacific Railroad for building rail cars, in addition to packing thousands of barrels of flour. This lead to the building of large coastal vessels. made from local pine and oak, on Cambridge Creek. Skipjacks, bugeyes, and log canoes were just a few vessels that local builders developed, in order to meet the needs of those who worked and traded on the Chesapeake Bay.
By the late 1800's Colonel James Wallace began packing oysters. He was the first to start raw shucking and steam packing of oysters in Cambridge. Cambridge's oyster industry shucked over a million bushels annually—second only to that of Baltimore. With the advent of the refrigerated railcar, oyster packers diversified and began to can fruits and vegetables.
In 1911, Wallace's plant was sold to the Phillips Packing Company and grew to 25 locations in 5 states. During the next decade railroad and telegraph lines were established and steamboat service to Baltimore improved. Many patrons shopped the major department stores, restaurants and pharmacies that lined the streets of Cambridge. Cambridge became known as "The Queen City" of the Eastern Shore.
While Cambridge is an historic town, settled by Europeans in the 1600's, it is also a modern boating and business community. New townhouse condominiums stand side by side with traditional waterfront businesses. The Dorchester County Courthouse built in 1854 on High Street remains a centerpiece of today's downtown business district. At the end of High Street is Long Wharf where merchant ships from Europe docked. Long Wharf is now the home of the Nathan of Dorchester, a commemorative charter skipjack. Today 18th and 19th century homes and offices still line High Street reminding us of our rich heritage.
The Cambridge Creek Bridge stands as a gateway to this traditional Eastern Shore community. In the business district you will find country general stores serving customers since 1867 along with antique shops, new specialty boutiques and coffee houses.