Waldo is located in Talladega County in the northeastern part of the state. It has a mayor/council form of government.

History

Waldo Covered Bridge

The community of Waldo grew up around a mill and foundry established by the Riddle family in the 1840s. A gold mine known as Riddle’s Hole was discovered and worked in the 1850s, and the community built a covered bridge to provide access across Talladega Creek. It still stands but is slowly decaying. The mill has been used as a coffin factory, the town hall, and a restaurant over the years, but is currently unoccupied.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Waldo recorded a population of 306. Of that number, 57.8 percent of respondents identified themselves as white and 36.9 percent as African American. The town’s median household income was $35,000, and the per capita income was $20,593.

Employment

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Waldo was divided among the following industrial categories:

• Manufacturing (35.3 percent)
• Construction (19.1 percent)
• Retail trade (15.4 percent)
• Educational services and health care and social assistance (8.8 percent)
• Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (6.6 percent)
• Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (5.9 percent)
• Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (5.1 percent)
• Other services, except public administration (2.2 percent)
• Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (0.7 percent)
• Public administration (0.7 percent)

Education

There are no public schools in Waldo. Students attend Talladega County schools. Central Alabama Community College maintains a campus in nearby Talladega, and Talladega College is located there as well.

Transportation

State Route 77 runs northwest-southeast through the town, and County Road 91 runs north from the northern portion of the town.

Events and Places of Interest

The town hosts a Sorghum Festival each September on the grounds of the former mill. The historic 115-foot Waldo covered bridge was built in 1858 to provide access to a local mill for residents on the opposite side of Talladega Creek. It is the second oldest covered bridge in the state.