A TOWN OF THREE LIVES
CALEDONIA, NORTH CALEDONIA, OLMSTED
The old town of Caledonia located on the Ohio River was laid
out by Captain Riddle and John Skiles in 1819 after the abandonment of the village of America. Among early settlers
at Caledonia were John, Hugh and Isaac Worthington and William Hughes. The old town of Caledonia failed because
of the difficulty of loading and unloading goods on river vessels. Upon the death of its proprietors progress was
arrested, and by 1861 river light is still located near this spot.
North Caledonia, north of the original town, was load out by colonel Justus post: the plat surveyed July 7, 1843
and submitted to record September 6, 1843. Colonel Post made a donation of land for county buildings. The large
brick courthouse was located on the hill a few blocks from the river on Caledonia Avenue. Becoming the seat of
justice in 1843 when Pulaski County was formed from Alexander County, it remained so until 1868 when the courthouse
was forcibly moved by stealth in the night to mound city. Records were moved by ox-cart, it is said.
Early years found north Caledonia to be as good a shipping point as it had a good river landing. It was on a high
elevation above flooding and had roads that led into the interior, over which the farmers brought their produce.
So many chickens were shipped that tradition says the road from Jonesboro to Caledonia was known as "Feather
Trail", due to the fact that feathers from the birds marked the entire route.
According to local legends Abraham Lincoln visited the village and practiced law within the walls of the old brick
courthouse.
The Promulgator, a Metropolis newspaper, of may 1866, printed that there were four dry-goods stores, two drinking
saloons, two hotels and a few dwellings, the courthouse, jail, a meeting house and school in North Caledonia. A
road to the north led to Grand Chain and metropolis, to the south to America and Mound city. Parts of the road
are in use today.
North Caledonia thrived for several more years, but its trade was being drawn to the rail lines that were completed
in 1872 under the hill to the west. A village, first named Olmstead, was laid out by E. B. Olmstead in 1872. Later
the name of the town was spelled Olmsted.
Olmsted, a small village located on state highway 37, is about twelve miles north of the mouth of the Ohio River.
It is scattered over hills and valleys with the river bordering its eastern edge.
In December 1972 the first passenger train passed through Olmsted on the way from Vincennes to Cairo. The Cairo
Vincennes line later became the New York central railroad. The village grew as an agricultural, shipping and trading
center until about 1918. About this time Sinclair refining company built a fuller's earth processing plant for
industrial purposes. Fuller's earth was mined near the Ohio River. This employed a number of men as the overburden
first had to be removed which required mule teams. The next year the Standard Oil Compnay (sic) erected a plant
just south of the Sinclair plant. These plants operated for years and contributed greatly to the development of
the village.
The Sinclair plant burned in 1921 but was rebuilt and enlarged, resuming operation in 1923. Standard Oil closed
its plant in 1939, moving or selling all equipment and machinery. Ten years later in august 1949, the Sinclair
Refining Company shut down its plant. The closing of these mining operations was due to the discontinuation of
the use of Fuller's earth in the refining of oil by these companies.
The Sinclair plant was later purchased by the American Charcoal Company of Detroit, Michigan, with their product
being sold to the Floor Absorbent Trade to be used in removing oil from concrete floors.
In 1958 this plant was purchased by Lowes, Inc., and renovated. By 1960 it produced more than 10,000 tons of clay
per year. Their product was marketed as "Kitty Litter". This Olmsted plant is one of five now operated
by the company known as Southern Clay, Inc. Together they produce nearly a half million tons of absorbent clay
materials annually.
Commercial fishing has played a major role in Olmsted's industry. Along with the gathering of mussel shells for
the button industry, fishing has been an important occupation for several families.
The first school of Caledonia was hardly recorded. The second school about 1880 was in a two-room building near
the business section of Olmsted. In 1926 a new brick building was erected and named Gore school in honor of Ed
Gore, who gave the land for it. Washington School, north of the business sector, housed the black students. In
1964 with the county-wide (sic) consolidation efforts, both schools were closed, an era of home-town (sic) schools
gone. Gore School was used as a print shop by JAMP for a time, then torn down. The playground is used by Koury
League.
Olmsted has fortunate to have good banking facilities. The First State Bank of Olmsted was organized in 1921. Stock
is owned locally. Except for the bank moratorium in 1933, the bank has continuously operated since its opening.
In 1954 the village had three general stores, two garages, a furniture and appliance store. In 1916-20 Ike Crecilius
had a store west of the tracks. Other business persons in earlier times were: John and Myrtle Johnson; Charles
Corzine; J.D. Spence; Lloyd Cannon; a Mr. Everts; Roy Cook; Ed B. Gore; E.C. Hogendobler; Dr. O Carraker, office
and drugstore; Joe Arnold; Ernest Adams; Lester Kraatz; Arden Brown; A.C. Bagby; Don Gore; Osborne Lumber Company;
Herb Davis, barber shop; Malcolm Mitchell, Helen Mason and Lauden Sheffer were operators at different times of
a small restaurant that was located on the highway. This was also a bus stop. Richard Bellamy had a garage which
is now the maintenance garage of Bishop Burd Construction. Roy and Marie Britt operated a garage for many years.
It was sold to Kevin Ulrich, then to Joy George, who reopened it for business late in 1986.
Other business places in 1986 include: BG's Antiques, owned by Bill and Marilyn Mayer Turner; A.M. "Pete"
Huddleston General Store, which was previously that of Lester Kraatz; Carl Blanchard Grocery, formerly that of
March L Hughes and before Hughes it was owned by E.C. Hogendobler; Cheryl Rushing Beauty Shop; O.J. Taake Barker
(sic) Shop; Marylou Shaner, Attorney; First State Bank; Fill-Up-Mart and Lena Koonce Voigt service station-grocery
on the highway.
Loy Bagby was postmaster at the Olmsted post office for many years. Lee Hannan then became postmaster. In 1986
Erma VonNida was postmaster. Others employed by the post office have been Gertrude Lackey, Ruth Schweiger, Glenda
Sheffer and Sherry Sheffer.
During the years 1939-1940 an ample water supply and surfaced streets represented untiring efforts and years of
planning. All this made a pleasant atmosphere in which to live and raise a family. Today under the mayorship of
James Burd, Olmsted has a nice library, village hall and fire department. The churches, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist
and Pentecostal all have adequate building and hold regular, well-attended services.
A Sunday School Convention was held in Olmsted on 14 August 1904, according to the Metropolis newspaper, with the
following persons mentioned: Bro. McGee; James Bartleson, president; Mrs. Mary Roberts; W.A. Bohn; Fred Hood; Dr.
W.J. Whitaker; Warren Garritt; and the Egyptian Quartet of Pulaski, Illinois.
All operations of the railroad ceased in 1976. The remaining depot if used today by the city. Gone are the hitching
post and the hustle and bustle of Saturday past. The 'coming and going' of a new day are very evident as you see
the semi-trucks driving up the hill to the "Kitty Litter" plant, Little Leaguers coming into town for
ball games in the summer, and the teenage hangout 'under the big tree' that comes 'alive' at dusk.
Source: Cairo Evening Citizen, May 18, 1954; "Olmsted" by Mrs. Fred Koch
Southeast Missourian, June 26, 1985; "Impact" by Jay Wolz
History of Olmsted, 1976
The Promulgator, May 1866
Moyers Brief History of Pulaski County
Perrin's History of Alexander, Pulaski, and Union Counties, 1883
Pulaski County, Illinois Genealogy Notes Volume II; Wanda L Atherton;
Glenna Conant Badgley; Martha W. McMunn
©copyright Brenda Neely 2003 - 2006 All Rights Reserved.