Cambridge Popcorn Wagon (Cretors & Company)
When I found this photo of Albert Rich’s first popcorn wagon (1907-1925), pulled by his horse Roxy, I decided to investigate. In 1885 Charles Cretors of Chicago invented the steam-powered …
Hitchcock Insurance Agency History
In 1962 my father closed the insurance agency that had been in existence since 1856 and that had been in our family since 1885. The business was started by John …
Hitchcock Store History
The Hitchcock Store closed its doors in 1961 after 125 years of service to the village In 1836 Benjamin F. McNitt, following a stint as a country school teacher, commenced …
Mary McClellan Hospital, 2005
Photos of the hospital taken in 2005
Village Lockup, 1910
I found this item in the 1910 village minutes … “under pressure from the State, the Village lock up was abandoned and all prisoners were taken to the jail in …
Time for a new post office, 1935
(based on letters to the Wash Cnty Post) The WPA (Works Progress Administration) was established in 1935 as part of the New Deal to help America get out of the …
OUR “new” DEPOT, 1902
Ken Karlewicz is finishing up a book on our local railroad. He asked an interesting question … when was the current passenger depot built … there are several dates documented …
Cambridge Service Stations
Cambridge has always been known for having a lot of churches. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the only thing we had more of was gas stations. They were called “service” …
CCS Alma Mater: my theory
The Elementary Chorus is learning about our alma mater. I was asked to talk to them about its history. As usual, I found lots of “facts”, but I also spun …
Telephones in Cambridge
Early telephones were leased in pairs and communication was only possible between the two instruments of the same pair (think of two tin cans connected with string). The first telephone …