Coon Hill Cemetery
Florida
May 24, 2008
We did not investigate this graveyard, We were in town for an investigation of a pivate residence and heard about this place. Were all big history buffs and couldnt wait to see it. Heres some history of it:
Coon Hill is the oldest cemetery in northern Santa Rosa County. It originated around 1820,
about the time of the first settlers. The close-in quarters of the Coon Hill community was
located about 1/4 mile away, near a big spring and fresh water. It had a general merchandise
store, stable, blacksmith shop, Pony Express Station, U.S. Post Office and a Church that
alternated between Methodist and Baptist.
The concrete wall was poured about 100 years ago. The sand and gravel used in construction
of the wall was hauled from Diamond Creek, approximately ¾ of a mile, using slip scoops
pulled by mules.
Prominent people buried at Coon Hill include: 2 Senators, 2 Circuit riding Preachers, 15
Civil War Veterans, 2 Tax Assessors, 3 Postmasters, and many other prominent people.
Ancestral names of Byrnes, Campbell, Davis, Diamond, Enfinger, Ezell, Hart, Howell, Lee,
Magaha, Mayo, McCaskill, McDavid, McKinnon, McMillan, Miner, Pearson, Penton,
Pyburn, Reynolds, Rutherford, Salter, Savell, Severson, Slade, Williams, and others are
buried here.
We have had three major desecrations over the last 12 years that were devastating. About
150 headstones and slabs have been badly broken. . The big unbreakable ones have been
pushed over, sometimes breaking the slab as they fell. The landmark statue of Mary, "'The
Mother of Jesus" was broken beyond repair and has been replaced. We also have installed
three wrought iron gates in the concrete wall openings with the name “COON HILL"
above the Entrance gate. About 100 headstones and slabs and 73 new markers have been
replaced or repaired.
Info from http://www.jayhistoricalsociety.org/pioneerstories/coon_hill_cemetery.pdf
