Welcome to Ken Gottry's Web Site

Cambridge History plus Computer Performance

Ken Gottry (ken@gottry.com)
Last Updated: 15-Sep-2013

Ackley Building to be Demolished

September 2013

In their September 4, 2013 meeting, the Cambridge Village Board announced that the Ackley Building (Legrys Buildings to old-timers) cannot be repaired and must be demolished. This leaves 3 of the original 6 buildings to celebrate their 130th anniversary next year.

Read some of the history of the buildings on the south sid eof West Main

 

 

100th Anniversary of Cambridge's Yellow Brick Road

August 2013

In 1913 the Village of Cambridge paved its Main Street with yellow bricks. My great grandfather, William L. Hitchcock, was given the task of finishing a project that floundered through much of the year.

Cambridge began as four small communities each located 3/4 of a mile from the next along our current Main Street. To the East was Dorr's Corners at the intersection of Gilbert Street (NYS Route 313). Moving westward, you found North White Creek at the intersection of Park Street (NYS Route 22). Next was Cambridge Corners, at the intersection of Union Street (the Great Northern Turnpike, built 1799-1804 from Lansingburgh to Granville). Finally at the West was Stephenson's Corners, later renamed Coila.

Between North White Creek (now called the East End) and Cambridge Corners (now called the West End) was the Cambridge Swamp formed by the junction of Blair's Brook (now Owl Kill) and Cambridge Creek. For a century and a half, this swamp formed a political, religious, and economic separation between the two communities. Main Street was impassable after even the briefest of showers and was a quagmire after heavy snowfalls and early Spring downpours.

Three of the communities (all except Coila) united in April 1866 to form the village of Cambridge. While the incorporation presented a united community on paper, the terms of the union called for an East District and a West District. For over 60 years, the village had separate support structures on the East and on the West: Trustees, Police Dept, Fire Dept, Road Crews, and more. The village was united but separate.

In the late 1880's, J.B.Rice built his Seed House in the middle of the community after filling in much of the swamp with 3,000 truckloads of dirt. In 1891 Rice deeded land next to his business for the construction of a new school. Since 1799, Cambridge had had separate buildings of education on the East End and on the West End. Thanks to Rice, the Cambridge Union School helped bring the two districts a little closer together.

In 1901, the Village Board voted to pave Main Street in order to provide easy passage during any weather. Multiple proposals and multipe votes over the next 11 years and still no work had started. In Mar-1913, lines for the new curbing were finally drawn. By August, the project was floundering in the face of strikes, unmet payrolls, and delays in shipment of bricks and concrete. My great grandfather took control of the project and by Christmas Cambridge had its Yellow Brick Road from the corporation line on the East to the corporation line on the West.

This presentation explains why main Street needed paving, how it was acocmplished, and the effects on the Village, effects that linger today.

Around Cambridge, White Creek, and Jackson by Ken Gottry

October 2010

I did it. I published a book!

The Cambridge Valley has always been united and divided, each community holding tightly to its identity. In 1773, the Cambridge District was formed, comprised of the current towns of Cambridge, White Creek, and Jackson. In 1788, the area became the Town of Cambridge in Albany County and was annexed to Washington County in 1791. The area was divided into the present town boundaries in 1816. The three communities of Cambridge, North White Creek, and Dorr.s Corners, though each only three-quarters of a mile from the next, did not unite into the Village of Cambridge until 1866. Today the village spans the boundaries of the three townships but still divides itself into the East End and the West End.

Ken Gottry.s ancestors, the Van Ness, Woodworth, and Hitchcock families, have been associated with the Cambridge area since its founding. His father was historian for the village, town, and church, leaving a large collection to the village archives and public library. Much of the content in Around Cambridge, White Creek, and Jackson comes from material his father amassed in the mid-1900s.

The Images of America series presented by Arcadia Published celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.

If you're in the area, stop by Battenkill Books. It's also available at smaller outlets (grin) online such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you're interested in a peek, some of the book and photos are available via Google Books.

Cambridge Celebrates its 250th Anniversary

July 2011

On July 23, 1761 Cadwallader Colden's patent for the Cambridge settlement was signed. In 2011 we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Cambridge Patent

Cambridge Then & Now

23-Jul-2011

In honor of Cambridge's 250th anniversary, I created a slide show of Cambridge Then & Now . Each slide presents a section of Cambridge with photos of how it used to look and photos of how it looks in 2011. Each slide also contains text describing the history associated with the photo.

Local History - Cambridge, NY 12816

Cambridge Central School (CCS)

Computer Performance