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Old Yellow River Cemetery, Laurel Hill, Okaloosa County, Florida, USA:
The Old Yellow River Cemetery is located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It lies north of County Road 2 off Yellow River Baptist Church Road near the west bank of the Yellow River about 1/4-mile NE of the current church.
Originally established in approximately 1850, Old Yellow River Cemetery was adjacent to the site of the original Yellow River Baptist Church. When the congregation built a new church slightly west of the original site, they also started a new cemetery but did not transfer any graves from the old cemetery. However, burials in Old Yellow River Cemetery were recorded as late as 1955.
Old Yellow River Cemetery is now abandoned in a heavily wooded area off an unnamed dirt trail. It is not visible from the trail and would be difficult to find if not shown by someone who knows its exact location.
The property containing the cemetery is privately owned and is leased for hunting. However, access can be granted with prior notification to the land owner. The Baker Block Museum in nearby Baker, FL has some records of past interments.
The most historically significant resident of Old Yellow River Cemetery is thought to be Wyatt Franklin (1811-1865). He was an early settler in Florida's territorial period and a veteran of the 2nd Seminole War.