In the April 12, 1934, issue of the Auburn Journal and the April 14, 1934, issue of the Placer Herald, it was reported that local author, Harold Waldo, was recovering from an operation to amputate his right leg above the knee after badly breaking his femur the week prior.
As painful as the injury sounds, the 44-year-old had been a paraplegic since a spinal injury at the age of 14 and had no feeling in his legs.
Waldo, who was confined to a wheelchair, became a well-known and acclaimed writer. Two of his novels, “Stash of the Marsh Country” and “The Magic Midland,” are classics. He also published numerous short stories.
Waldo’s work was especially appreciated by then Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon, who, in 1933, commissioned Harold Waldo as the 1331st Kentucky Colonel. In the same ceremony, Laffoon commissioned Mae West and Will Rogers as Kentucky Colonels as well.
Harold Waldo died in 1951 and is buried in the Old Auburn Cemetery and will likely be featured in a future Old Auburn Cemetery Tour.
Photo: Harold Waldo in the Oct. 24, 1933, edition of The Sacramento Bee
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