AMBOY | HISTORY
From farmland to city
T
he city of Amboy sprang forth from humble roots. In the mid-1800s, the land that now falls within city limits primarily was farmland, dotted with a few shanties and farmhouses, built by settlers who began arriving in 1837. All that changed in 1852, when the Illinois Central Railroad bought the farms owned by Cyrus Davis, Joseph Appleton and Joseph Farwell, with
Amboy, circa 1907, as seen on a picture postcard.
plans to make Amboy its manufacturing and repair shop hub. A survey was done on March 23, 1854, to
establish the original portion of town, and bonds for lot deeds were executed that July.
storic Amb i H t i s oy Vi
City of
Amboy
227 East Main St., Amboy, Illinois 61310
815-857-3814
www.cityofamboy.org SM-ST1452388
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John Schamberger, Mayor Get to know us...Amboy, Illinois • 2017-2018