Today's journey took me to
Caledonia.
It is the smallest incorporated town in Missouri with population 125. The Village is full of Historic Charm at the foothills of the Ozarks.
Some of it's points of interest are:
Oldest Masonic Lodge West of Mississippi. The Tyro Masonic Lodge, built in 1919, was originally built as a store on the first floor with the Masonic Lodge on the second floor. Chartered in 1825.
Civil War History – Skirmish down Webster Rd. & Two Story Yellow Ramsey House was used as Civil War Hospital. Comfort Ruggies, a Revolutionary War soldier participated in the Boston Tea Part is also buried in Presbyterian cemetery.
Caledonia is on the National Association of Trail of Tears.
Senator Vandiver lived and was President at the Caledonia College in late 1800’s, is best known for his speech on the Senate floor, paraphrased “I’m from Missouri Show Me,” The “Show Me State” was named after his speech!
Caledonia is a National Historic District with 28 Homes & Businesses on the National Historic Register. One of these businesses is the coolest candy and ice cream shop you have ever seen!
The Award Winning Old Village Mercantile is an authentic 1909 General Store on the National Historic Register originally called the “McSpadden Golden Rule Store.” I can attest it is grand!
Caledonia is a Quilting Community. You can view Barn Quilts on all the Businesses & various homes & barns in area!
Caledonia is a portion of the Miles Goforth Spanish Land Grant. Goforth sold the Caledonia portion of it to William Buford, who came from Virginia about 1812. Buford resold all of it to Alexander Craighead, a Scotsman, who planned to plat it.
Craighead had it surveyed and advertised an auction, stating whoever bought the first lot could name it. Craighead made it a point to buy the first lot and named the Village after his native Scotland (Caledonia is Latin for Scotland).
Lots sold from $1.50 to $5.00 per lot in 1819.
Craighead built his home in the Village in 1816 and it is still standing today.
However, this was not the first home in the Village. Robert Sloan, who came in with the Scottish-Irish Presbyterians in 1808, built his home where the Presbyterian Church was built later.
The first two businesses were Tom Sloan’s Blacksmith Shop and Fergus Sloan’s Brewery.
The story goes that the latter did not last long because as Jacob Launius, pastor of the Methodist church from 1836-37 wrote in his diary, “I have learned that the brewery did not exist very long, because right in the beginning the Methodists were having a Camp Meeting and everyone got religion but one old drunken ‘Sot'”... The brewery was out of business.
The first addition to the Village was established by Rev. H. M. Long whose home was the Methodist Parsonage on Mill Street and whose date for pastoring the Methodist Church is likely between 1838-44. The second addition continued on down Mill Street and was owned by Cecil and Betty Campbell, becoming Campbell Addition.
The first school was built in 1804 where the Methodist Cemetery now is.
A two-room school was built in Caledonia in the 1830s. The Bellevue Collegiate Institute was built by stockholders in 1864; the building was razed in 1952.
In 1936 the Caledonia High School was built, it later served as an Elementary School, and it is still standing.
Presbyterians and Methodists each built their first churches outside the Village of Caledonia.
The third Presbyterian Church was built in 1872 though the congregation dates to 1816 and "is the oldest organized
Presbyterian congregation west of the Mississippi River." It is still in use.
The second Methodist Church was built in Caledonia and burned in the Great Fire of 1909.
The present church was rebuilt on the site, dedicated in 1911, and is still in use.
Can you believe that Caledonia just 20 years ago was abandoned and buildings were empty.
This Village is a true American comeback story with amazing people who have loved it back to life!
It has been a great history Journey for me and I hope you enjoy Caledonia's history as much as I did!
Nana
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