Cambridge, Missouri facts for kids

Cambridge is what we call an "extinct town" or a ghost town in Saline County, Missouri. This means it was once a busy place where people lived and worked, but now it's mostly gone, with few or no people left. The U.S. government's GNIS still lists it as a "populated place," even though it's no longer active.

What Happened to Cambridge, Missouri?

Cambridge is located in the middle of Missouri, a state in the United States. It's a great example of how towns can change over time. Many towns like Cambridge grew and then faded away, often because of new technologies or changes in how people traveled and traded.

The Early Days of Cambridge

The area where Cambridge was located started to become a community even before the town was officially planned. A post office, which is where mail is sent and received, was opened in Cambridge in 1845. This shows that people were living and doing business there. The town itself was formally "laid out" in 1848. This means its streets and building plots were planned and marked out, ready for people to build homes and shops.

Why Cambridge Disappeared

Cambridge's story is a common one for many small towns in the 1800s. When railroads were built, they changed everything! Before railroads, towns often grew near rivers or main roads. But railroads offered a faster and easier way to move goods and people.

Unfortunately for Cambridge, the new railroad lines were built in different areas, often bypassing older towns. When this happened, businesses and people started to move to the new towns that were built right next to the railroad tracks. This made it harder for places like Cambridge to thrive. Over time, fewer people lived there, and businesses closed down. The post office in Cambridge, which had been open since 1845, finally closed its doors in 1903. This was a clear sign that the town was no longer a busy center.