Waldo Lake - History

History

The area was first inhabited by Native Americans, and the lake was later discovered by Molalla Indian Charlie Tufti. According to pioneer resident Frank S. Warner it was then named Pengra Lake after Byron J. Pengra, a pioneer railroad champion. Later the lake was named in honor of Judge John B. Waldo from the Oregon Supreme Court who helped push for preservation in the Cascades which began with the Cascade Forest Reserve established by President Cleveland in 1893. Waldo was the son of Daniel Waldo for whom the Waldo Hills are named.

The area was also used by sheep farmers for graizing prior to the establishment of recreation facilities by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression in 1939. Later facilities were built by the Forest Service in 1971.

In 1979 the lake received around 10,000 visitor days per year, and by 1989 that number increased to 32,000 per year. Between those years, in 1984, 37,000 acres (15,000 ha) to the north, west, and south were designated as the Waldo Lake Wilderness by the federal government. In 1996 a forest fire, the Charlton fire, swept by the lake and forced the evacuation of several campgrounds while burning much of the north side of the lake’s surrounding forest.