Waldo's Wilderness Legacy One of Willamette University's most
famous alumni died 100 years ago this September. Although John
Waldo, Class of 1863, served in the Oregon Legislature and as
chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, he is best remembered
for his visionary efforts -- and success -- in protecting the
Cascade Mountain range. Waldo left a wilderness legacy that
stretches 250 miles, from Mount Hood in the north through Mount
Jefferson, Three Sisters and Crater Lake, and on to Sky Lakes
and Mountain Lakes in southern Oregon. Many Americans are
familiar with John Muir, the founder of the modern wilderness
preservation movement and the driving force behind the creation
of Yosemite National Park. While Muir worked for wilderness
protection in California, Waldo introduced legislation to
protect Oregon's Cascade Mountains and pled his case all the way
to the White House. Growing up in the "Garden of Oregon" Waldo
was born to pioneer parents in 1844, east of Salem in what are
now called the Waldo Hills. The