History
Located on the western banks of the Whetstone (Olentangy) River, the area now encompassing the village of Caledonia once sat at the eastern edge of the ecologically-significant Sandusky Plains prairie region, which spanned southern Crawford, southern Wyandot, and northern Marion County. To the east of the river there was a vast old-growth forest, which was generally swampy and predominated by American Beech and Sugar Maple trees. Evidence of pre-historic peoples can be found in the region, including mounds and stone relics. During the historical period, the area was used for hunting by the Erie, Shawnee and other Eastern Woodland tribes. Beginning around 1720, groups of Wyandot and Delaware peoples began arriving in the area from distant areas to the north and east.
In 1818, the area was surveyed by the US government in preparation for settlement. The first settlers arrived in 1819/1820 and named it "Muddy Run Settlement," due to the swampy conditions along the river.
Over the next ten years, many pioneer settlers passed through the area. Most of the first settlers came from Fairfield County, OH and Washington County, PA. A sizeable community of English and Scottish immigrants also settled in the area.
In 1832, local resident Lawrence Van Buskirk was named postmaster of the Muddy Run Settlement and the area was referred to as "Van Buskirk."
The village of Caledonia was surveyed in 1834 by Samuel Holmes and platted on behalf of William S. Farrington, Greenville Penn Cherry, Charles H. Weed and Richard Wilson, the town's founders. The growing community was renamed after Caledonia, an ancient name for Scotland, the ancestral home of a large share of the first settlers.[4]
Caledonia's growth & prosperity was largely due to the construction of railroad lines, such as the Bellefontaine & Indiana Railroad in 1852 and the Atlantic & Great Western Railway in 1864, which were built through the center of town. The establishment of these rail lines connected Caledonia to larger markets to the East and West and made Caledonia a major stop-over and embarkment site along the lines between Marion & Galion; it also encouraged the growth of Caledonia's monumental Public Square beginning with the Village's formal incorporation on November 11, 1873. Boosterist mayor John Blanchard was a driving force behind the construction of the Public Square.
Major historic buildings on the Public Square include Village Hall (1891), the Union Block Building (1884), the Temple & Masonic Block Buildings (1897), the Underwood Block Building (1875), a canopy gas station (1920s-1930s) & the Anderson & Dunhill Building (1867), otherwise known as the "Class of '55" Building and Clark Building. All buildings on the Public Square besides the gas station are built in a distinctive vernacular Italianate style – some, with added Classical Revival elements like broken pediments & hipped roofs.
Caledonia experienced two significant downtown fires in its history: one, on July 23, 1883, that took out several historic frame structures and led to the expansion of masonry construction. Sherwood Anderson describes the 1883 blaze in his memoirs. A second fire, in 1896, destroyed the former Temple & Opera Block frame buildings on the southeastern corner of the Public Square; today's brick Temple & Masonic Block building were built in their place in 1897.
Throughout its history, Caledonia was a major agricultural, shopping, entertainment, & fraternal hub for the region. A grain elevator just north of the railroad tracks has served the community since at least the 1890s. Caledonia's downtown and Public Square were a booming destination for local farmers & rural residents in a fifteen-mile stretch of region between Marion, Bucyrus, Galion, & Mt. Gilead.
Caledonia was also known regionally as a major "organization town." At the height of American fraternalism, Caledonia hosted almost a dozen fraternal organizations & auxiliaries – including the Knights of Pythias Calanthe Lodge #116, the Oliver Lodge #447 of the Free & Accepted Masons, & the International Order of Oddfellows (I.O.O.F.) #299. Once located each in their own buildings, Caledonia's surviving Masonic & Oddfellows Lodge now both meet in the I.O.O.F. Hall above the Union Block Building. Caledonia also boasts an active American Legion (Post #401), which offers a canteen in the Union Block building, an annual Memorial Day service, and other community events.
In the 1920s, Caledonia became a stop along the "Harding Highway" – originally called the "Marion Way" of the National Road. This spoke of America's early highway system followed already-established market roads; & brought regional traffic from Galion directly through the heart of the Public Square. Amongst growing concern over traffic fatalities, the road – which eventually became U.S. 30-South, then Highway 309 – was bypassed around downtown Caledonia. A secondary business hub consisting largely of gas stations & related automotive businesses eventually developed along today's Highway 309 bypass. By the 1950s, automotive transport had entirely replaced passenger rail transportation; & Caledonia's once-bustling railway depot was demolished.
Caledonia's population peaked in the 1970s: fueled, in part, by a major oil boom in neighboring Morrow County in the 1960s, which brought an influx of new families to the region. The 1970s saw a heyday of historic preservation, public history, and civic pride on the Public Square, with the celebration of Caledonia's centennial in 1970, the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, & the Marion County Semisesquentennial in 1977.
At its height, downtown Caledonia boasted multiple grocery stores, a television supply store, a drug store, a bakery, several restaurants, four bars, & four churches. While many of Caledonia's downtown businesses flourished until the 1980s, the triple blows of deindustrialization (including the closure of Marion Power Shovel), the "get big or get out" push in North-Central Ohio agriculture, & the construction of new big box stores along Route 95 on the outskirts of Marion began pushing local businesses out. By 2010, the majority of Caledonia's Public Square was vacant. In the early 2020s, community members began organizing to revitalize downtown Caledonia.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census[8] of 2010, there were 577 people, 232 households, and 174 families living in the village. The population density was 2,508.7 inhabitants per square mile (968.6/km2). There were 260 housing units at an average density of 1,130.4 units per square mile (436.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.4% White, 1.6% African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.
There were 232 households, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.86.
The median age in the village was 40.2 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.
2000 census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 578 people, 230 households, and 169 families living in the village. The population density was 2,568.0 inhabitants per square mile (991.5/km2). There were 242 housing units at an average density of 1,075.2 units per square mile (415.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 99.31% White, 0.35% African American, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.
There were 230 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $40,804, and the median income for a family was $46,563. Males had a median income of $34,375 versus $22,344 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,423. About 1.9% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
