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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Cambridge Public Library District

Cambridge, Illinois

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Cambridge.

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13Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1720 to 2013Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

173,716Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Cambridge, Illinois.

Discover another side of Cambridge, Illinois through newspapers and census records preserved in the Cambridge Public Library District's digital archive. Its thirteen titles include material from 1720 to 2013. The collection also includes local history resources.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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 Explore the Archive

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  • Selected titles

    The collection from Cambridge Public Library District includes “Cambridge Chronicle” and “Raymond H Hammes Collection”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • Different views of the past

    A familiar name or event takes on another dimension in the newspaper coverage of its time, alongside the stories that mattered to the readers of that issue. A census entry offers one dated view of a household. Its recorded details can help you explore a family connection without proving identity from a name alone.

The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse thirteen titles and 173,716 digitized pages, with material from 1720 to 2013. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Cambridge Public Library District shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

Explore the titles below for a closer look at the places, people and everyday life of earlier generations.

Cambridge Chronicle

136,454 pages from 1889 to 2013

Cambridge Democrat

2 pages in 1871

Census

12,482 pages from 1840 to 1920

Chronicle

4,644 pages from 1878 to 1983

Daily Chronicle

64 pages in 1899

Fair Budget

32 pages in 1877

Fulton County

1,954 pages in 1900

Henry County Chronicle

6,108 pages from 1858 to 1983

Henry County Dial

2 pages in 1854

Henry County Gazette

2 pages in 1853

History of Henry County

4,586 pages from 1877 to 1910

Prairie Chief

4 pages in 1871

Raymond H Hammes Collection

7,382 pages from 1720 to 1811

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About the Archive

About The Cambridge Public Library District’s History Archives

The Cambridge Public Library District provides free access to a rich collection of historical materials through its partnership with Advantage Archives . The archive features a total of 11 titles, focusing on local newspapers and historical documents. This valuable resource supports community engagement and serves as an essential tool for research and genealogy.

Cambridge Public Library District photo 1

About the Library

About The Cambridge Public Library District

The Cambridge Public Library District enriches life in the Ilinois community by providing exceptional services. It focuses on meeting the diverse needs of its patrons and promoting lifelong learning through a variety of resources and programs.

Library History

The History Of The Library

Founded to serve the educational and informational needs of the community, the library has a rich history of providing resources that support literacy and lifelong learning.

About the Community

About The City of Cambridge

Cambridge, Illinois , is known for its rich history and vibrant community. The city offers various cultural and recreational opportunities that enhance the quality of life for its residents.

Local History

Did You Know?

The library actively engages the Cambridge community through numerous programs and events, making it a vital resource for education and cultural enrichment.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Trace a name across nearby issues

Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Cambridge: a person, a neighborhood, or an event remembered in your family or community. Follow that question through the newspaper titles shared by the Cambridge Public Library District to encounter reports from their own time. Consider how an individual story relates to the wider community and the period around it. Search a name with alternate spellings and dates around the event where the archive permits. Read the page around a match, then compare another issue or title if available; a repeated name is a lead to verify, not proof of identity.

If a name does not appear, try an alternate spelling or a related term, then read around any match. Note the issue date and page so a result stays connected to its context. Use those details to follow a story without treating one search result as a complete answer.

Build a trail through the past that someone else can follow: record the title, date, page or item reference, and a link when available. Keep historical quotations distinct from your own interpretation. If accounts disagree, note what each source supports before deciding how the details fit together in a family or community story.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Cambridge Public Library District, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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