Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-draw map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
On August 26, 1915, L.B. Alexander of Reynolds, Georgia, married Nora Preston of Melrose, and soon after acquired this red brick building. They opened a store in which he sold shoes, hats and general men's wear, and she sold dress goods and children's clothing. It later was the home of Casa Las Brujas Antiques.
This was Waldo's wooden business block until it was destroyed by fire in 1893. This brick store was built soon after by T.B. "Ben" Tillis. It was later owned by Charles Richard Sparkman and his son, Claude.
Other buildings in the area which were razed in the 1920s and 1930s included the Opera House (built in the 1870s), the Waldo Hotel (built in 1869), and a three-story cigar factory.
Waldo acquired this caboose from the Seaboard System Railroad, and serves as an inspiration for the annual Waldo Railroad Days each April.
Pharmacist "Dr." John Ambrose, the son of George Ambrose, lived in this house which was built in about 1908.
Dr. George Ambrose arrived in Waldo in about 1880, and this house was built for him in 1882. Nearby was the Raulerson & Ambrose General Merchandise store, which he ran with Hardee Raulerson.
This wood frame house was built in about 1895 with a prominent front gable. It was the home of Joseph H. and Laura J. Winter. Railroad conductor Charles H. Routh purchased it in 1921.
This Victorian style house was built before 1894 here on "Cracker Hill". Originally, it had a fanciful two-story full-length veranda, plus a narrow two and one-half story tower. It was the home of railroad engineer George Sumner Granger, and it remained in his family until 1981.
The house faces the railroad tracks, so what is seen from this road was initially the rear of the house.
Just after 1900, this was the home of businessman W.E. Seigler and his wife, Lula. Daughter Ila and her husband W.D. Kinzer, a railroad engineer, later occupied it.
Lelia Sparkman was a descendant of William Sparkman, the founder of Waldo, and lived in this home built in the early 1900s.
This house was constructed by 1883, and was the home of Joel and Catherine Weeks. He served as a member of the city council. It was inherited by their son, Frank, and remained in the family until 1941.
Sarah Elizabeth Raulerson was the first baby girl born, in 1848, to English-speaking settlers in the area. She lived here with her widowed mother, Mary Clement Sparkman.
This house and the next one on this side of the street were originally located on SW 4th Blvd. and belonged to Una Lee Donaldson. After telephones came to Waldo during the 1920s, one served as the telephone office.
This was the home of Jim T. Wills, a conductor for the Seaboard Railroad prior to World War I. He and his family lived here during the 1930s.
In about 1900, an employee in Claude Sparkman's store was Ransome Meade, who lived in this house.
This cottage was built in the early 1910s. Early occupants were the Thigpens.
This was the home of Andrew Jolly, who ran apothecary shops for several doctors during the 1880s. His son, Frank, was the town's druggist during World War I.
The First Presbyterian Church of Waldo built this sanctuary in 1884, then sold it in 1918 to the Episcopalians. Nearby prior to 1881 was the school, held in an 18 x 18 foot house.
This building, now a library, began as the rectory for the church next door.
This cabin used by the Boy Scouts was built during the 1950s-60s. The logs themselves were cut and prepared much earlier than that.
This house was built in the 1890s for Dr. Joe Strickland, one of the first doctors in Waldo. Later, it was the home of railroad engineer J.L. McCauley.
The Newman family moved into this home during the 1890s.
This was the home of C.E. Geiger, who was an engineer of the Seaboard Railroad in 1910. Later, it was occupied by railroad employee Ed Donnegan, who married the Geigers' daughter, Belle.
During the 1890s, this home was built for John L. and Effie Parke Winter. He was made supervisor of buildings and bridges in 1900 for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. In 1913, he became a vice president of the Bank of Waldo.
This bungalow was built during the early 1910s, and housed one of the town's many railroad workers. The earliest railroad employees had moved into Waldo in 1859.
The corner up ahead and the adjacent several acres were known as the Branning Block, after a family that arrived here in the 1830s. The land was acquired for the school in 1920, and construction was completed in 1923.
This home was originally built in 1879 on US 301 by Capt. George H. Barker. He ran the wood-burning dredge which dug canals in the late 1870s and early 1880s to Lakes Also and Santa Fe. He also captained the "F.S. Lewis" which ran on that route.
This house was built in the 1880s for Thomas M. Cauthen, and later was the home of Arthur Boring. His father was Rev. Isaac Boring, who preached near here in 1858 when what is now Waldo was called Bellamy Station.
Dr. D.L. Renault from Paris, France, established a medical practice in Waldo by 1883. He owned an orange grove about a mile and a half from here. This house was his, and was the home of Seaboard Railroad conductor Ben Fry during the 1920s and 1930s.
The first Methodist church service in the area was in East Waldo in 1867. A two-story frame church was built in 1877.
This property was donated for the church by physician Dr. Joe Boring. The sanctuary and bell tower were built in 1910.
This was the home of Harry M. and Mary Bell Agin. He was an engineer for the Seaboard Railroad and in 1919 served as the mayor of Waldo.
This lot was bought by Nathan Conan Pettit during the 1880s, and he built this home. Pettit was a member of the city council in 1883 and mayor in 1907-08, and planted gardens here which attracted train passengers who disembarked to have lunch at the Waldo Hotel.
This brick masonry building was completed in 1913 with an inlaid tile stoop. The bank closed on July 22, 1929, later reopened, and closed permanently on February 6, 1932.
This building is believed to have been built during the 1880s. In abut 1907, the second floor became the new home of the El Toney Cigar Factory. The business was owned by the Entenza family, and had been located at other sites in Waldo since the 1870s. It closed within a few years after it moved to this site, and the second floor became a meeting place known as Temperance Hall.
During the 1890s, this building was used as a school. Later, it was the home of the Manning family.
This town is named for Dr. Benjamin Waldo, who moved to Ocala in 1850 from Newberry, South Carolina. He never lived in Waldo, but as a writer was well known here. The name was likely selected by David Levy Yulee. This park is named for Dr. Austin Cary, who promoted sound forestry practices in the U.S.
Alachua County, Florida Historical Tour Series: Melrose and Waldo, by Alachua County Historical Commission (1983)
East Side of Eden: A History of the Waldo Area, by Bettee V. DeSha (Arbuck Publishers)
Florida Historical Markers & Sites, by Floyd E. Boone (Gulf Publishing Company 1988)
Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, (University of Florida Press 1989)
History of Alachua County 1824-1969, by Jess G. Davis (Alachua County Historical Commission 1969)
Click here for a copy of the trail rules.