Linda Hall Vlacos

Waldo, Florida Linda Hall Vlacos

Waldo in north-central Florida dates back to the 1850s, but was probably settled by Native Americans long before then because of its location near beautiful Lake Alto. The history of Waldo includes the coming of the Cross-Florida Railroad in the 1850s, involvement with some Civil War battles, the digging of the Santa Fe Canal to connect Waldo with Melrose via several lakes, devastating freezes that wiped out the citrus crop in the 1890s, and connections to Jacksonville, Starke, and Gainesville by modern highways. The town has also in recent times seen the dissolution of its police force and the closing of its school because of a declining population. How the town has survived such natural and man-made difficulties to become a friendly, hospitable place to live makes a fascinating story.