Coal minimg town. Abandoned when mines became uneconomical to operate.
SUBMITTED BY: Bruce McDonald

Cambria had its beginning in 1887. Its purpose was to supply coal to the western lines of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. The development of the town and operation of the mines was the responsibility of Kilpatrick Brothers & Collins, contractors to the railroad. They built a reservoir, constructed more than 150 miners' homes, two churches, a school, a lodge hall, a three story hotel, a recreation hall, a bank, a courthouse, and company offices. Their big commissary store attracted shoppers from all over the Hills, and their opera house once put on a sold-out performance of Faust. By 1904, the mine employed 550 men, and the town had a population of 1,400. Many are still there, beneath ornate tombstones in the cemetery northeast of town. By 1928 the coal deposits were almost exhausted and the end was in sight. There is much to see today of what was once the thriving town of Cambria, especially if one climbs up on looks back into the valley, the trees will show the pattern of streets and houses, and the buildings that are left will indicate something of what was there before. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.