Cambridge
The early history of Cambridge dates to 1856, when speculators arrived in the area in search of land and other resources under the Pre-emption Act. Finding abundant timber, arable land, and the Rum River, the area slowly began to open up for settlement. Much like old Isanti, Cambridge was originally platted in a different location in its early years. Perhaps one of the more notable points in early Cambridge history occurred in 1857, when a family from Connecticut by the name of Griswold secured land around the area of Florence (Paul’s) Lake and began to plat and sell lots to interested parties. The Griswolds lived in a tiny cabin near the lake where they carved out their existence on the Isanti County frontier. Operating a boarding house and a post office, Harriet Griswold became one of the area’s first contacts for early settlement in the wake of her husband Allen’s death. Due to the economic panic of 1857, many of the lot sales stalled out, and eventually, the Griswolds returned to the East Coast.
Mirroring Isanti’s development in the early 1860s, Cambridge also capitalized on settlement activities. Names like Bunker, Conger, Edblad, and Becklin became synonymous with early Cambridge. Another prominent business known simply as the Odell-Conger Stopping Place established a base of operation out of an early trading post and hotel that satisfied the needs of both early residents and travelers. As the American Civil War drew to a close and the Homestead Act became the preferred avenue through which land could be settled, Cambridge began to see further growth and established itself as a village in 1866.
During a heated election in 1869, Isanti and Cambridge were locked in battle over the designation of the county seat. George Nesbitt and Ira Conger rallied the county’s population (approximately 2000) to garner votes for their respective towns. In the fall of 1869, Cambridge would officially become the county seat.
As the population continued to increase around the Cambridge area, more businesses and industries capitalized on the Rum River. Several enterprising business owners set up along the banks of the river with a saw mill, flour mill, woolen mill, and later a brick factory. When the railroad came through, Cambridge had many businesses conveniently lined up near the tracks that further solidified the development of the town.