1914 Plat map. In 1854 a sturdy Scotsman by the name of Alexander McGilvray started a ferry across the Black River. He gave the name of Caledonia to the new Town in honor of his Scottish homeland. For awhile the prospects for a village at the site of the ferry looked rosy. The village of Caledonia was platted by 1860 and a hotel, school, store and blacksmith shop were built at the ferry. As pioneer settlers came into the new county of Trempealeau, they crossed the river on McGilvray’s ferry. From there they proceeded onto the prairie land between Trempealeau and Galesville. In 1856-57 the first school was organized-the front room of storekeeper JD Olds’ cabin was used as a schoolroom until the schoolhouse could be built. The first teacher was Cecelia Segar and first pupils were Henry, Oscar and Ben Beardsley, William and Elizabeth Bright, Jennings and Georgia McDonald, Rankin, John, William, Angus, and Gilbert McGilvray and John W Hanson. The prospects for continued growth of the little village at the ferry looked bright until the great log drives from Jackson County started. In the spring and summer a mass of logs would be floated down the Black River to the saw mills in La Crosse. The ferry was unable to operate for weeks on end so the days of McGilvray’s ferry (and the village of Caledonia) came to an end. Mcgilvray’s Bridge was opened in 1892 and the old ferry boat was sold up the river to Decorah Prairie for Gordon’s Ferry. Rates charged for the ferry were .25 for a team, .35 for a four horse wagon and .10 for a foot passenger, Although the ferry was put out of business by the log drives, the fertile farmland in the town of Caledonia was soon bought up and the local farmers prospered. Rural school in the Town were Bigelow, Brick Black River, Rhodes, Towner, Wagner and later, Caledonia Consolidated. Some of the residents of the Town of Caledonia were August Scherr, Willis Suttie, Thomas Skilton, Joshua Rhodes, C C Bigelow, Frank Bender, the Chappells, Hannans, Pickerings, Hamiltons, Gilberts, Lakeys, Schumans and Marshes.
