05/20/2026
Waldo Park is known as one of the smallest city parks in the world. The park is 12 by 20 feet, and at its center stands a giant sequoia redwood tree. The tree was planted by William Waldo in 1872 after he purchased it as a seedling from a traveling salesman.
William Waldo, a judge and member of the Pioneering Waldo family, planted the tree at his home on the corner of what is now Summer and Union streets. When Waldo’s property was to be platted and included within the city limits, Waldo only vacated land on the condition that the tree be preserved.
As the city grew, the tree faced obstacles to its continued existence. In 1936, to save the tree, the American War Mothers petitioned the city council to establish the tree as a city park, and the park was officially designated.
After the new Oregon State Capitol was completed in 1938, the city continued expanding to the north. William Waldo died in 1911, but his home still stood at the site until the late 1950’s, when Salem underwent a large expansion to accommodate the growing city. Streets were extended and widened, and many older homes north of the Capitol were demolished to make way for the Capitol Mall.
