History of Cambridge, Wisconsin

A dam on Koshkonong Creek was the first sign of development for what would become the village of Cambridge. The surrounding area had been settled by Scottish and Norwegian farmers establishing Cambridge in 1847. Within the first few years, saw and gist mills, two general stores, two hotels, a boot and shoe shop, a harness shop, a cabinet shop, a tailor, a milliner store and a saloon all lined Main Street. One of the hotels on Main Street still stands and is currently the home of jewelry store today.

By the 1860s, Cambridge had grown to a population of 250 residents, mostly retired farmers and shopkeepers. In addition to the stores listed above, the town also boasted a blacksmith and repair shop, a hardware store a post office and a doctor’s office. Many of the village’s young men enlisted to serve in the Civil War. A statue in the Village Square today honors the veterans of that war.

In 1890 a fire broke out that destroyed much of the business district, as well as, some of the homes on upper Main Street.

By the 1910s, the population of Cambridge had grown to 700. And in the 1920s, the automobile had a profound impact on Cambridge, spurring its growth as a tourist town. Vacationers started coming to Cambridge and Lake Ripley from Chicago as far back as the late 1800s. To promote Cambridge as a tourist attraction, the village adopted the symbol of a blue and yellow umbrella, and dubbed itself the “Umbrella City”. This symbol (based from umbrellas used at the beach on Lake Ripley) is still used by the village in some of its promotions today.