Caledonia’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 2 old photos of Caledonia. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Caledonia was platted in 1854–1855. The town was named by founder Colonel Samuel McPhail for the ancient Roman word for Scotland. A post office has been in operation at Caledonia since 1855. Caledonia was incorporated in 1870, and was reincorporated in 1889.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Caledonia’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Caledonia’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old view1910postcardEpiscopalChurchCaledo…, 1910: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Caledonia
See all 8 →Caledonia, decade by decade
1990s
4 historic places in Caledonia
Caledonia has 4 listings on the National Register, and they protect 15 historic buildings, because Caledonia Commercial Historic District alone counts 10.
Where they are
When they were listed
Listed 1982Williams, Spafford, Hotel
Listed 1983Houston County Courthouse and Jail
Listed 1994Caledonia Commercial Historic DistrictListed 1982David R. and Ellsworth A. Sprague HousesThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1910postcardEpiscopalChurchCaledoniaMN (1910) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (5) and the Library of Congress (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.