1956 Begins building Waldos Mountain and completes it in 1960. In 1958, for example, he claimed as one of his lifes accomplishments clearing and grading the right of way from the old wooden bridge to A.B. With lumber rescued from his barn destroyed in a hurricane, Waldo began building what would become the Driftwood in 1933. Certainly the most famous part of this menagerie is the vast collection of bells. In the early days, Waldo and McKee populated the gardens with 300 animals, including macaws, toucans, flamingoes, alligators, deer, wildcats, a wrestling bear and various types of monkeys. The Ocean Grill opened New Years Eve 1941, offering dancing under the stars, but closed the next day because the no-see-ums arrived at sundown and were fierce. When the woman noted in the afternoon tour that his stories about certain objects were not the same on the tour she had taken earlier in the day, he retorted: Madam, Id rather be a liar than a bore.. The pour size was much to be desired, Michael F.:

Saturday and Sunday the music starts at 1:00 p.m. Other nights it is likely to start at 7:00 p.m.If you are there are on Tuesday, you can enjoy 2 for 1 draft, house wine and well drinks from 7:00 p.m. to close. Barber had also recently completed a 52-room mansion that was described by the New York Times as the finest mansion between New York and Chicago. Waldo lived in a section of the antique-filled mansion and took his meals with Barbers family. He enrolled in Indiana University in 1908 to study medicine but later dropped out and entered Purdue University to study animal husbandry, graduating in 1911. Financing his education himself, Waldo held jobs stoking furnaces and waiting tables before going into sales. NEW DISCOVERIES McKEE BOTANICAL GARDEN PHOTO ARCHIVES. 8. His passion for beautifying the citys landscape extends from the water oaks at 14th Avenue to laurels along 21st Street, royal palms on Royal Palm Boulevard, Royal Palm Place and McKee Botanical Garden, and banyan trees throughout the city. This structure, like others that were built by Waldo, was not so much designed-and-built, but collected and assembled, biographer Gross wrote. Waldo also gave each of his children a pony. SEXTON COLLECTION, ARCHIVE CENTER, IRC MAIN LIBRARY. WALDOS MOUNTAIN patrick o.: Michaels house [on Orchid Island] by manpower alone no mules, no tractors, no bulldozers.. Oldest son, Ralph, bought Treasure Hammock Ranch and Waldos beef cattle interests. After leaving Barbers farm, he became a traveling salesman for the Spalding Deep Tilling Machine. The Patio began as a real estate office and a fruit stand that was opened in 1935 by Waldos sister, Lulu Sexton Sleeth. In 1914, he formed his own real estate company. Waldo grew up on his parents 80-acre farm and, according to Waldo biographer Gross, was notified by his father at the age of 10 that he and his brothers were to take over all the work in the fields. 10. Yes, but if it is true (I am by nature a skeptical person ). It gave the appearance of a scrap-wood look on the outside, and a hodgepodge of objects inside, including Tiffany lamps, a number of old paintings, iron grill work, and various artifacts from ships.. Though lacking many of Waldos touches on the exterior, the inside is pure Waldo, with worm-eaten wood, plaster medallions, ornate wrought iron touches and various art works. Luckily, Waldo excelled at academics and qualified to attend Shelbyville High School, where he played football. The rooms in the sections, which had an upstairs, featured furniture made of driftwood and various objects Waldo collected over the years. Mark Tripson recalled that when Crosby Lumber Company off Old Dixie Highway in Vero Beach was being sold in 1986, it turned out that a Waldo corporation owned the land beneath the building. Earned the Brewery Pioneer (Level 34) badge! Anyone is free to ring a bell or two when the spirit moves them. During his two years with Barber, Waldo helped improve milk cow and hog productivity of the stock, which included a world-record, milk-producing Guernsey. As Vero Beach prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2019, no one figure stands taller in the citys history than Waldo Sexton. Naturally, I cant confirm this story, but it is still more interesting than the beer. Five decades after his death, Waldos family has preserved his legacy through their ownership of many of his works and valuable properties. And the work ahead did not intimidate the six-foot-one, 200-pound Waldo. Townspeople who remembered the 1930's describe Sexton pacing up and down the beach shouting verbal instructions to the crews, who worked by voice command only, without plans. He had a spiritual streak. Ian M.: Earned the Cheers To You! patrick o.: Instead, he promoted it as a free tourist attraction and place of reflection that travelers could use as a stop while driving along A1A. The project evolves into a hotel that becomes known as the Driftwood Inn and a restaurant now known as Waldos. Once, when he learned that a salvage company was razing an estate and he could purchase contents but would have to pick them up that day, he sent his fleet of dairy trucks to Palm Beach to retrieve the tiles, which were used to decorate Waldos Mountain. High School and enters the University of Indiana to study medicine but later drops out and enrolls in Purdue University to study animal husbandry in 1908. 7. The main dining room also features a large round mahogany table and a huge wrought iron lampshade. Friendship Brewing Company, Small Batch Special - Pumpkin Amber ARRIVAL IN VERO SEXTON FAMILY PHOTO. 3. He was friends with the celebrated writers Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Zora Neale Hurston, with whom he had a correspondence over several years. The property was originally leased for a hot dog and hamburger stand, which Waldo later demolished to build a patio dance floor. He developed a test to analyze the superior qualities of Florida oranges, and the results helped promote the worldwide reputation of Indian River citrus. Cheers. Sexton, founder of McKee's Jungle Attractions, also in Vero Beach, built his sprawling dream of cypress logs and pecky-cypress paneling from the swamps around the Blue Cypress Lake about 26 miles away. He spent time with George Gross writing Tales of Waldo, giving verbal accounts through his gift of story-telling and his steel-trap memory by which they put together the book, said Ralphs son, Sean Sexton. Luckily, his penchant for publicity left a long trail of newspaper interviews and articles about him often enough to identify inconsistencies and divine the truth through what he repeated most often. Every day they have happy hour from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Waldo's has live music almost every day of the week. It was originally built as a weekend getaway for the Sexton family, but soon evolved into a hotel and was expanded over the years. So interesting story. , Chris U. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, greg y. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's, Beers not quite as good as the view, but I aint complainin, patrick o. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's, Chris L.: Barber had founded it as a scientific farm that would employ the latest and most efficient agricultural practices, mirroring the efficiencies of his various industrial operations. Poor size is more like it amirite, Todd M. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at The Driftwood Inn & Resort, mike f. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, Amanda F. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, Andy L. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort, Celina N. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort, Devon B. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, Kevin M. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's, John is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, JD C. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's, john S. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's, Matt M. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort, Martina Q. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, N T. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, Joe P. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, Chris J. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, Rob M. is drinking a Waldo's Lager by Waldo's Driftwood Resort at Waldo's at the Driftwood, Rittmayer Aisch Osterbier Sensing opportunity, Waldo began making trips to Palm Beach to salvage items from the mansions, whose contents were often put up for auction before being razed. The children had few restrictions or responsibilities, except the care of various pets, which included a macaw, monkey, goats, several dogs and a clowder of cats to keep rats down in the dairy barn. Brothers Ralph, front, and Randy are on the pony. Waldo was born in Moral Township, Indiana, the sixth child of Isaac and Sara Buckingham Sexton, descendants of families that had settled the Kentucky and Indiana wilderness. The hotel was sold in 1979 and turned into time-share resorts. beef cattle. It is located by the pool at the resort and the pool is oceanside. Using his life savings of $500, he put a down payment on 160 acres of land on 12th Street, 100 feet of oceanfront property and a business lot. To her amazement, none of the stories were the same. Only the youngest child, Randy, was born in Vero. Later additions included Waldos Hall of Giants, which features the longest mahogany table in the world, and his outdoor Spanish kitchen, modeled after one Waldo had seen in Mexico. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 2. He carried sacks full of them to buy salvaged items during his buying trips to Palm Beach mansions falling under the wrecking ball, gave them to his California grandchildren during visits and tossed a chest full of them to parade-goers on Waldo Sexton Day in 1958. It is said that Sexton would disappear for days and no one would know exactly where he had been until a truck would pull up laden with the treasures he had bought. He even took us to West Palm and the cemetery there, where his favorite marker read: That which is so universal as death must be a blessing.. Elsebeth soon found herself in the hotel business. The Driftwood was originally built as a weekend beach house for his family. An artist and amateur architect, his greatest gift was salvaging the refuse of Palm Beach mansions to create new structures, perhaps just as structurally sound but looking as if they had been haphazardly put together or were organic to the landscape. Waldo and Elsebeth raised their four children at the home that they expanded over time. Special attention to detail in each guest room along with state of the art amenities makes each stay a comfortable and memorable event. Earned the Land of the Free (Level 12) badge! She only knew two selections: Hearts and Flowers and Johnny Get Your Gun, which she played alternately as the scene dictated, Sean Sexton wrote. Sexton Plaza on the beach was dedicated in his honor while bands played and speeches were made. The result was a two-story hotel with balconies everywhere surrounded by pole railings with turned or peeled-log supports. THE PATRIARCH 2022 The Best Florida Beach Bars, LLCPlease Drink ResponsiblyPrivacy | Terms | Advertise | Contact, Waldo's at the Driftwood Resort Pool Area. As the Great Depression approached and Floridas land boom went bust, new estate taxes forced the heirs of robber barons in Palm Beach to give up their mansions, with some falling under the wrecking ball. Earned the Wheel of Styles (Level 7) badge!

He was basically retired at the time. Thus, he immediately started to build a house for Barbara and John next door. While all four of his children are now dead, the real estate is controlled by Sexton Inc., a corporation consisting of Sexton descendants from the four families, each controlling about 25 percent of the shares. During the wait he decided to permanently settle in Vero. When that opened it sent him into a downward spiral, and he liked to drink.. She and Waldo married and he took her to live in the small two-room house on his property [on 12th Street] where she found he lived in one room and kept the other full of feed.. Son Ralph, who headed Sexton Inc. and died in 2014, just two days shy of his 87th birthday, commissioned the only biography of his father, Tales of Waldo E. Sexton by George W. Gross, published in 2001. Blessed with a stout physique, he was a powerful force on the field and known to be fearless. The office space over the years housed a dress shop and later an ice cream and hamburger stand. He built with things from the sea and felt the sea could take them back whenever it wanted, said his granddaughter, Logan Tripson Geeslin. Reporting for this article is based on Sexton family interviews and archives, Tales of Waldo E. Sexton by George W. Gross, the photo glossary from Sean Sextons Waldos Mountain and the research and archives of historian and genealogist Pam Cooper. Though he lived full-time in Vero beginning in 1913, three of his four children (Jacqueline, Barbara and Ralph) were born in Chicago near their maternal grandparents home because Vero had only one doctor and no hospital. Fascinated with his various works, who doesnt automatically embrace his spirit when hearing the story of his response to a woman taking a tour with him of the Driftwood? Located in the heart of Vero Beachs shopping district on Ocean Drive which is lined with interesting boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries, the Driftwood is also within a 15-minute walk of the Vero Beach Museum of Art, Anne Morton Childrens Theatre, and Riverside Theatre which offers a variety of professional performances. Once Sexton finished the inn, he began to fill it, inside and out, with a, mish-mash of objects ranging from ships' wheels to cannons and from early Italian chests to plush sofas, gleaned from every corner of the state and as far away as Europe.

", | The Driftwood Resort | All Rights Reserved | Accessibility, Listed on the National Registry since 1994. SEXTON COLLECTION, ARCHIVE CENTER, IRC MAIN LIBRARY. The farm featured 35 structures, many of them built in the French Renaissance Revival style and adhering to Barbers belief that farms should be both beautiful and functional. 1934 Begins building the Driftwood then referred to as the Breezeway as a weekend beach getaway for his family. Papa threw silver dollars at people.. Share the love! In earlier days at the Driftwood, one's popularitly could be judged by the number of bells rung upon departure. Earned the Brewery Pioneer (Level 60) badge! 1906 Graduates from Shelbyville (Ind.) A chance to demonstrate the machine brought him in November 1913 to Vero, which was then just a postal designation. WALDOS STRUGGLE Originally The Driftwood Inn was a private beach house which was called the "Breezeway". 1947 Begins a series of hospitalizations for the treatment of manic depression. In true Waldo entrepreneurial fashion, the Tripsons today run the property known as Waldos Secret Garden as a venue for weddings and other large events. The Driftwood, left, as it appeared in 1933. 1958 Waldo Sexton Day is celebrated in Vero Beach on Nov. 5. He created a test for confirming the outstanding attributes of Indian River citrus and through his involvement in various organizations, including the Indian River Citrus League, he helped develop its worldwide reputation. A parade was held featuring floats with themes from various Sexton enterprises. 1885 Waldo Emerson Sexton is born March 23 in Shelby County, Indiana, the sixth child to Isaac Sexton and Sarah Buckingham Sexton.