Cambria, IL

Cambria grew from the coal economy of northwestern Williamson County. The area had a store and post office by the 1830s, then Lauder became a railroad station serving the mines of the Carterville and Big Muddy Coal Company. The village was first incorporated as Reeves in 1904 and took the name Cambria in 1923, a Welsh name tied to the background of early residents and the John brothers who developed the mines. The name change tracks the village's Welsh and coal-rail identity.

ATTRBrian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0

By about 1922, Cambria had three coal mines and a full small-town commercial set: a bank, general stores, theater, blacksmith, newspaper, boarding house, and repair shops. The coal boom has passed, yet the old mix still tells you why the village exists where it does. Village meetings, ordinances, and a historical photo album keep current civic attention tied to the same local story. If you're placing Cambria, think Welsh name, railroad station, and a village built around mine work.