William Waldo (January 16, 1812 – November 2, 1881) was a candidate for

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...

in 1853. He was born in Harrison County, Virginia (now part of West Virginia) but spent most of his life in

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, where he was a merchant and steamboat captain. In 1849 he joined the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

to California at the head of a wagon train. In California the next year, reports arrived of impending starvation among numerous immigrants on the

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

side of the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

mountains. Waldo put great effort into recruiting and delivering supplies for them, and became well known for his relief attempts. In 1853 the Whig party nominated Waldo as their candidate for Governor, but he narrowly lost to the incumbent

John Bigler John Bigler (January 8, 1805November 29, 1871) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat. A Democrat, he served as the third governor of California from 1852 to 1856 and was the first California governor to complete an entire term in office, ...

. Following his defeat, he returned east, first to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and then back to

where his wife and children had remained. In his later years he moved to Texas, where he died. William Waldo is said to be the namesake of

Waldo, Oregon Waldo is a ghost town located in Josephine County, Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (sta ...

''History of southern Oregon : comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos Counties'' (Portland, OR: A.G. Walling, 1883), p. 446, 456-7.Grants Pass history page
on Grants Pass, Oregon web site. where he accidentally campaigned, believing the settlement was in California, and of Waldo Point near

Sausalito, California Sausalito (Spanish language, Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, California, Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, California ...

. He was the brother of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

politician Daniel Waldo.

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* 1812 births 1881 deaths California Whigs 19th-century American politicians People from Missouri People from Texas {{California-politician-stub

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