Our Mission Statement

The mission of the organization shall be the collection, preservation, and dissemination of materials and information relating to the history of Caledonia.

More particularly, its objectives shall be:

  1. To locate and collect any material that may help establish or illustrate the history of Caledonia.  To disseminate historical information to any interested person, groups, and institutions and to arouse interest in Caledonia by any of the following means:  publishing historical materials either in print or electronically, holding meetings featuring workshops, lectures, or informative programs, conducting historic tours, marking or restoring historic buildings and sites, operating a museum or historic site; and/or any other related activity the organization may so choose to undertake.
  2. To make this material available for the appreciation, enjoyment, study, and research of individuals, scholars, and the general public at large.
  3. To accomplish these goals through the establishment of clearly defined and generally accepted collection, conservation, and interpretation policies and procedures.
  4. To ensure that all programs, functions, and events of the organization, including membership, shall be made available to anyone regardless of sex, race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, sexual orientation, or disability or upon any other basis that would be prohibited by law.
  5. To the extent practicable, make its facilities accessible to the public.

Caledonia Historical Village

Preserving the Past for Future Generations

Learn the history of Caledonia. Preserve the history of Caledonia. Share the history of Caledonia. The Caledonia Historical Society (CHS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the collection, preservation and dissemination of materials and information relating to the history of Caledonia. The Society promotes the understanding of the history of the Village through a number of buildings and the artifacts within them.
The Caledonia Historical Society began in 2001 as a loose association of individuals and officially became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2003. The genesis of the Society was a desire to save the original Caledonia Center Town Hall from the wrecking ball due to its deteriorating condition and the potential widening of Hwy 38. In the late 1990’s, the town Chairman, Dennis Kornwolf, realized the historic value of the building and gathered a small group of like-minded citizens in an effort to save the structure. That group grew into the Caledonia Historical Society.

Built in 1877 when Joseph Fuhrman was the Town Chair, the Caledonia Center Town Hall had served the Town well until a “new” Town Hall opened on Nicholson Road in Husher in 1952. Located on the Mary O’Conner property a quarter mile south of Five Mile Road and a scant few yards off Hwy 38, the building was moved across the highway and over a field to its new location in the Caledonia Historical Village where it began its second life as a museum and educational tool. The CHS completed the restoration of the structure in 2003 and it is the foundation of our preservation efforts.

In 2009, we made a decision to expand our efforts by securing the funds necessary to save and relocate the 1902 Sturtevant (Milwaukee Road) Railroad Depot. After moving it to the Caledonia Historical Village in four pieces, the staggering restoration process began. Funds obtained through individual and business donations, fund-raising efforts and community organizations such as Preservation Racine and the Racine Community Foundation, provided much-needed support. In 2010 we relocated and refurbished a circa 1927 caboose and we were on the way to our historic settlement.

The next acquisition came about by luck. Alan and Patty Ruud unearthed an 1840’s log cabin on their property in the core of a nondescript home prior to its destruction. The Ruud’s offered the cabin to the Historical Society along with enough funding to cover the disassembly and reconstruction in the Caledonia Historical Village. With the project completed in the spring of 2012, the “Ruud Cabin” is named the in their honor.

Another “Old Building”, completed in September of 2012, is the “Myers Museum” in honor of Royse and Barbara Myers, generous members of the CHS. The building is representative of a 19th century livery stable and built with materials recycled from disassembled barns and factories. It houses a blacksmith shop and a huge hand-carved diorama created by Joe Fotjik, Sr.
Our latest acquisition is a turn of the century machine shed from the Botting farmstead. Because of its size, this 24’ by 70’ two-story machine shed is an anomaly among sheds built during this era. Moved in 2015 in two pieces (upper and lower segments), the shed is on its new foundation and the restoration process is underway.

To see our buildings and other items we own you can visit the Caledonia Historical Village located on 5 Mile Road,  just east of Hwy 38.  The Caledonia Historical Village is owned and operated by the Caledonia Historical Society, a volunteer driven 501 (c)3 non-profit.

Membership Form and Donation Information

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Caledonia Historical Society. Please download this Membership Application Form. This form is in PDF format so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.

We have cups, note cards, and prints of the 1902 Depot for sale.   We are currently raising funds to restore a two story barn/machine shed moved  from Botting Rd to the Caledonia Historical Village at 5 Mile Rd and Hwy 38.

Donations can be sent to and payable to:

Caledonia Historical Society
5043 Chester Lane
Racine, Wisconsin 53402

You can now donate online now!

Current Officers

President: David Biehl
Vice-President: Linda Graeper
Secretary: Lynda Lechner
Treasurer: Elveda Morrill