History and Stories of Cambridge NY
Photos, stories, and presentations about Cambridge's past & present
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I love my hometown. I love the old photos and postcards, but what I really like are the stories. My dad was an historian. I'm not. I am a raconteur. I try to be as historically accurate as possible, but as my wife will tell you, I never let facts get in the way of a good story.
In addition to collecting, organizing, and sharing the past, I also try to record the present. My hope is that 100 years from now, someone will say "Thanks, Ken Gottry, for showing me what Cambridge was like in the 2000s" the same way I thank people who did the same around 1900.
When you see a set of small images that indicates a photo album. Click on any photo to drill down.
All content on the web site is accessed by the menu. You can now also do text search. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Enjoy, Ken 15-Sep-2016
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Cambridge Firehouse Burns March 1950
In March 2020 the village voters will be presented with a bond issue to fund a new firehouse on Gilbert Street. I thought it appropriate to look back at the last time we were asked to help those who help us.
Fires play a major role in our history. In March 1866 the West End burned which led to the formation of our fire department. In August 1947, the Old School burned which led to the current CCS. In March 1950, the firehouse burned which led to our current Municipal Building.
Cambridge Diner new old sign
(click on title for full story)
The Cambridge Diner has stood on East Main Street since the 1930s. On Sunday 13-Oct from 2-5pm the revitalized sign was celebrated with the unveiling at 3pm. I recounted some history and memories of the diner that has anchored the village for over 80 years.
1954 House Renumbering
In In Oct-1954, all of the houses in Cambridge were renumbered to comply with new Post Ofice regulations. This is a good source to see what stores were where and who lived where in 1954.
One thing to note is that, as part of the ongoing feud between the West End and the East End, the houses on East Main even switched even-odd sides of the street. The railroad tracks have always divided West Main Street and East Main Street. House numbers on the north side of Main Street were always even and on the south side of Main Street were always odd.
Until 1954. When the East End saw that the West End was putting the even numbers on the north side of Main Street, the East End countered by flip-flopping putting the odd numbers on the north side.
As of 1-Oct-1954, my house was changed from 26 East Main Street to 39 East Main Street. Kinda makes researching history even more of a challenge.
Good ole Cambridge
This PDF lists all the houses and stores with owners and addresses in 1954
Mark Twain Visits Cambridge, 1870
Lecture series were a major form of entertainment in the late 1800s. The photo shows Ackley Hall on the south side of West Main Street where Samuel L. Clemens (better known by his pen name, Mark Twain) lectured on 13-Jan-1870 at the age of 34.
Below is a recount of his visit based on the letters he wrote to his fiancé, Olivia (Livy) Langdon. The letters were published by the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley. All letters to Livy are signed “Sam’ while letters to others are signed “Mark”.
The following letter was written on 14-Jan1870 from Troy, the next stop on his lecture tour. I have interjected comments from footnotes and from our local history files using the markings “[ed:]”
