Many Columbia County residents may not realize that the city of Waldo was once as large or larger than Magnolia. What some might consider a timber boomtown, Waldo at one time was home to numerous hotels, banks, shops, and even a fully functioning, successful horse racing track complete with grandstands, stables, and gambling — all located within the city limits of the small town.
The history of the Waldo racetrack can be traced to the earliest days of Columbia County. In the mid-1800s, General T.P. Dockery owned most of what is now Waldo. He first settled in Lamartine where he owned a large plantation. After rail lines were laid on his land, the town of New Lamartine, later re-named Waldo, formed around the tracks and the depot located in the vacant lot between what is now East Main and East Dickson Streets near the Waldo Fire Department. The city was officially incorporated in 1888.
Shortly after incorporating, many businesses and amenities opened near the railroad and became what is now downtown Waldo. One family who owned a few of these businesses was that of the Askew’s. B.F. Askew was one of the first judges and practicing lawyers in Magnolia and Columbia County, and he held the rights to significant amounts of land. Eventually, his children opened multiple places of commerce in Waldo. One successful early Askew venture was Henry’s Livery Stable founded in 1894 by Henry Askew, B.F.’s son.
A livery stable was a critical facility during the pre-automobile era. When horses were essentially the only mode of transportation, those passing through a town or those who lived in town required their animals to be housed either temporarily or permanently in a local livery stable. There, the animals would be sheltered, fed, and looked after by a staff of stable hands. Often, liveries were located near downtown.
According to former Waldo Mayor, Fire Chief, brother-in-law to a direct Askew descendant, and lifelong Waldo resident David Baird, the remnants of Henry’s can still be seen today.
“Only part of it is still standing, but it’s the red brick building behind the old doctor’s clinic near Highway 371,” he said.
In 1915 Henry’s Livery Stable closed. As Askew reportedly once said, “Another fellow named Henry put me out of business – Henry Ford.”
Askew’s sister also owned a large business in Waldo. During the same time, Ruth Askew Hendrix was the proprietor of the Hendrix Hotel in downtown Waldo.
“People would bring their animals on the train, and they would get their horses off the train,” said Baird. “Then they would stable them down the street at Henry Askew’s Livery, and the people would go stay at the Hendrix Hotel.”
The hotel would play a role in the success of the Waldo racetrack. In 1894, the track was opened on land owned by the McKissack family on the southern outskirts of the Waldo city limits. The rectangular track ran approximately a quarter-mile from north to south, then turned and ran roughly a half-mile from west to east, then back again. Near the starting line, Askew built and owned a large 100 horse capacity barn fully fitted with stalls and comforts for the animals.
“Each race had 12 horses in it,” Baird said. “So they needed a large facility.”
Large grandstands also ran just north along what is now East Benson Street. The road actually served as the final leg of the track, later converting into a street. Often, 400-500 spectators, wagerers, and fans filled the bleachers for races. Many track visitors were from out of town including many racehorse owners. They usually stayed at the Hendrix Hotel while in Waldo.
The track specialized in traditional English-influenced harness racing. Unlike the more well-known sport of thoroughbred racing, in harness racing — sometimes referred to as buggy racing — a racehorse is harnessed to a small, lightweight, two-wheeled apparatus called a sulky, on which the jockey is then seated.
The horses themselves are also different than the thoroughbreds one might see today at nearby racetracks Oaklawn Park or Louisiana Downs. Harness horses can vary in breeds, and they do not race in a full sprint, but rather a gait or a trot. Once the horse is in his or her gait, the ride is extremely smooth for the jockey.
When the Waldo track opened, there were no gaming laws in the state of Arkansas. Columbia County was also a wet county, meaning all consumption and sales of alcohol were completely legal. Baird’s father Lloyd, born in Waldo in 1912, had firsthand knowledge of how the track operated in the early 1920s.
“When my dad was around 10 years old, he and some other guys in the neighborhood would go down to the barn and feed the horses, put them in the stalls, and water them,” said Baird. “They’d get paid 25 cents for a half day’s work. They had to sneak down there because my grandfather didn’t want my dad around all the boozing and gambling.”
During World War I, the track’s business slowed significantly. Many men were serving in the military, and rationing was in effect. The track survived for another few years but it eventually closed in the mid-1920s.
Around the same time, a baseball field was built on the infield near the northeast end of the track. Many professionals once played on that field. Former New York Giants shortstop, National Baseball Hall of Fame member and Waldo native Travis Jackson trained on the field during the winter months. In the playing season he resided in New York City, but in the offseason he returned to his native Columbia County. Jackson also recruited his friends and other Major League ballplayers of the era to practice alongside him.
“Travis Jackson used to bring Bill Dickey and other Hall of Famers down here in the late 1920s,” Baird said. “My dad was around 15 then, and he used to play baseball with those guys in the winter offseason. They’d have pickup games during that time. The backstop is still standing, but that’s about all you can see now.”
Jackson played for the Giants from 1922 to 1936, winning the World Series in 1933. The defensive standout was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 and resided in Waldo until his death in 1987.
Today, a few remnants of the racetrack and the baseball field are still visible. The backstop behind home plate can be seen amid the overgrowth, and small trails which used to be segments of the track are slightly visible. Even as late as the 1960s, most of the track was cleared and the baseball diamond was fully functional. But over the last half-century or so, trees have grown in place of the once open field. The rectangular track can be distinguished aerially when using a modern satellite image on an interactive map such as Google Earth.
Most of the old buildings from Waldo’s past have either been torn down, lost in fires, or no longer operate. But memories, photos, and firsthand accounts from citizens still exist, thereby preserving history that otherwise may have been lost. Waldo City Hall also houses numerous photographs showcasing the municipality’s once bustling downtown and surrounding areas including the racetrack, the Hendrix Hotel, and multiple banks and storefronts.
“People all the time tell me that they had no idea any of this stuff ever existed,” said Baird. “It’s all pretty cool.”