Waldo in Alachua County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Lynching in Alachua County
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Lynching in America
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, November 2, 2026
1. Lynching in Alachua County Marker
Lynching in Alachua County
From 1889 to 1926, white mobs lynched at least six Black people in the Waldo, Hawthorne, Campville, and Rochelle areas of Alachua County. On November 28, 1889, a mob stormed the Waldo Jail and abducted Thomas Nichols, who had been accused of theft. The mob then beat and shot him; he died the next morning. On September 6, 1892, a mob hanged a Black boy accused of burglary and arson from the beam of a storage building in Waldo. His body was left suspended for hours as hundreds of white people came to see it. On January 12, 1894, a mob lynched Charles Wiley, who was in his mid-20s, in Rochelle. After being shot by a white man, he sought refuge in a nearby house, but the mob shot him several more times and set fire to the bed he was recovering on, killing him. On September 25, 1912, Ellis Washington was shot to death at his home by a posse searching for another Black man. On December 13, 1913, a mob of several hundred men abducted and lynched a young Black man named Henry White in Campville for visiting a white woman. The mob dragged Mr. White to a tree near the local depot, where they
this page online
Lynching in America
Over 6,500 Black men, women, and children were killed in racial terror lynchings in the United States between 1865 and 1950. After the Civil War, many white Southerners opposed equal rights for Black people, and lynching emerged as the most public and notorious form of terror used to uphold racial hierarchy. Hundreds of African Americans across the South were lynched following false accusations or for alleged minor infractions, including for actions as trivial as interacting with a white woman, for alleged property and theft offenses, or for aiding another target of mob violence. These charges were frequently unsubstantiated or exaggerated, yet still triggered lethal violence. Local newspapers contributed to this violence by promoting false and sensational claims about Black
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, November 2, 2026
2. Lynching in Alachua County / Lynching in America Marker
Erected 2026 by Equal Justice Initiative-Alachua County Community Remembrance Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical date for this entry is January 12, 1894.
Location. 29° 47.369′ N, 82° 10.102′ W. Marker is in Waldo, Florida, in Alachua County. It is at the intersection of Northeast Waldo Road (Florida Route 24) and Earle Street, on the right when traveling east on Northeast Waldo Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14705 NE Waldo
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, November 2, 2026
3. Lynching in Alachua County / Lynching in America Marker
Regionally, this marker is in North Florida. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Dickison and His Men / Jefferson Davis' Baggage (here, next to this marker); Waldo (here, next to this marker); For All Who Served (within shouting distance of this marker); Earleton, Florida (approx. 5.2 miles away); Turpentine Industry Community and Family (approx. 6.8 miles away); The Keystone Inn (approx. 8.3 miles away); I am a Veteran (approx. 8.3 miles away); Melrose United Methodist Church (approx. 9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waldo.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 2, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 13 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 2, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
