Editing Waldo, Maine (section)

==History==
The area was once part of the [[Waldo Patent]], a large [[land lot|tract]] of land owned by [[Samuel Waldo (merchant)|Brigadier-General Samuel Waldo]] of [[Boston]]. It was first settled in 1811 by Henry Davidson, then organized as Waldo Plantation on July 6, 1821. The town was incorporated by the [[Maine Legislature|legislature]] on March 17, 1845, taking the name of its early proprietor.<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge  | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield   | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge  | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n372 334]–335| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref>

A large portion of Waldo was rocky and uneven, unfit for [[Tillage|cultivation]]. Some parts had [[Arable land|arable]] soil, however, producing excellent [[farm]]s and prosperous [[farmer]]s. The town became noted for prize-winning [[cattle]]. It was also known for its [[forest]]s, with much of the [[timber]] used for [[Belfast, Maine|Belfast]] [[shipbuilding]]. The Wescott Stream provided [[water power]], and by 1859 Waldo had seven busy [[sawmill]]s. It also had one [[gristmill]], some [[roof shingle|shingle]] machines, and a [[Tanning (leather)|tannery]].<ref name="Coolidge"/> In 1870, the [[Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad|Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad]] began operating, its trains passing through the town.<ref>[http://www.rays-place.com/history/me/waldo-cty-me.htm George J. Varney, ''History of Waldo County, Maine;'' Boston, Massachusetts 1886<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>