Laurel Hill Utilities
Electricity/Gas
CHELCO Electric
1-800-342-0990
Gulf Power
1-800-225-5797
Okaloosa Gas
(850) 729-4700
Water/Sewer
City of Crestview
(850) 682-6131
Okaloosa County Water and Sewer
(850) 651-7171
Auburn Water Systems, Inc.
(850) 682-1258
Garbage
Waste Management
(850) 862-7141
Bob Grabowski (outside city limits)
(850) 398-2478
Telephone
Sprint
1-800-SPRINT1
BellSouth
1-888-757-6500
AT&T
1-800-222-0300
Satellite/Cable
Cox Communications
(850) 682-5131
DirecTV
1-800-347-3288
Miscellaneous
Department of Motor Vehicles
106 Hollywood Blvd. SW
Fort Walton Beach, FL
(850) 833-9122
(850) 833-9123 - appointments
Laurel Hill Recreation
Local Attractions
Sasquatch Zoo
5262 Deer Springs Dr.
Crestview, FL
(850) 682-3949
Parks
Oak Grove River Park
2751 Hwy 2
Laurel Hill, FL
Shoal River Wayside Park (Bill Duggan Jr. Park)
5999 Hwy 85 S
Crestview, FL
Ray Lynn Barnes Boat Ramp
3390 Hwy 90 E
Crestview, FL
Eagle Park
2980 James Lee Blvd E (Hwy 90 E)
Crestview, FL
Garden City Park
6330 Garden City Road
Crestview, FL
Museums
Carver-Hill Museum
895 McClelland St.
Crestview, FL
(850) 682-4003
Golf
Crestview Country Club
4927 N Antioch Road
Crestview, FL
(850) 682-2012
Shoal River Country Club
1100 Shoal River Dr
Crestview, FL
(850) 689-1010
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Laurel Hill History
The area which is now Laurel Hill was one of the first English-speaking settlements in Florida. Settlers were documented establishing a community, originally known as Almirante, soon after Florida's acquisition by the United States in 1821. In the 1880s, railroad access to north-west Florida opened up a booming lumber industry, with the Yellow River Railroad reaching the Almirante (Laurel Hill) area by 1892. In 1895 Almirante, then just a small logging and farming community, was platted and renamed Laurel Hill, the name purportedly inspired by a large laurel tree which grew in the center of the community. Growing rapidly, the community was incorporated by the Florida Legislature in 1905.
Although in 1915 Laurel Hill was the largest community in newly created Okaloosa County, the town lost out becoming the Okaloosa County seat to the more centrally located town of Crestview. Laurel Hill's economic fortunes went into a decline after World War I, a waning intensified by the Florida land speculation collapse of the 1920s which resulted in the closing of Laurel Hill's only bank. In order to install infrastructure improvements and to re-stimulate the community, Laurel Hill was reincorporated in 1953.
First held in 1992, the Laurel Hill Hobo Festival is an annual event scheduled for the second Saturday in October.
The team name for the Laurel Hill School is the Hoboes, allegedly the only school in the US with this team name.
Although in 1915 Laurel Hill was the largest community in newly created Okaloosa County, the town lost out becoming the Okaloosa County seat to the more centrally located town of Crestview. Laurel Hill's economic fortunes went into a decline after World War I, a waning intensified by the Florida land speculation collapse of the 1920s which resulted in the closing of Laurel Hill's only bank. In order to install infrastructure improvements and to re-stimulate the community, Laurel Hill was reincorporated in 1953.
First held in 1992, the Laurel Hill Hobo Festival is an annual event scheduled for the second Saturday in October.
The team name for the Laurel Hill School is the Hoboes, allegedly the only school in the US with this team name.
Laurel Hill Archive
By Mark Curenton The Laurel Hill area attracted some of the earliest settlers once Florida became part of the United States in 1821. Two years later an Army captain surveying the route for a road across Florida mentioned the “Scotch Settlement” on the Yellow Water River. In 1827 John Lee Williams, in describing the Yellow Water River, stated, “There is a very good settlement of industrious farmers on this river, forty miles above the bay.”
Cemetery Record Archive with headstone photographs
James A. Wood has carefully surveyed Almarante Cemetery (Laurel Hill) and Magnolia Cemetery (South of Laurel Hill) and has graciously allow us to publish the records and photographs here for historians and genealogists. Almarante Cemetery Record Archive History of Almarante Cemetery by Tracey Curenton Magnolia Cemetery Record Archive
Daniel Campbell & Effie McLean Descendants and Other Connections Excerpts from the November 1982 booklet by Mayme Tyner and Mayme Pearl Tyner, Laurel Hill, FL 32567-8236 Copy of booklet contributed to LaurelHillNow by
James A. Wood Index Forward - by Mayme Tyner Campbell Family History and article on Daniel Campbell from the Pensacola Gazette of December 10, 1842 Daniel Campbell of Skye Isle, Scotland - from newspaper clipping A little history in connection to Laurel, Hill Florida - some sections written by Ferrin C. Campbell Josephine Baggett & Honest John Campbell - a quiet, small man in stature with large or prominent ears and wore a beard stained with tobacco juice... Country Living in the early 1900s - Mack and Effie Tyner lived on what could well have been called "The Back Forty." Our music, particularly at night, was... James Campbell - born November 26, 1890, married Pauline Polly Spears...
Miscellany Laurel Hill High School Photo Archive About Pearl Tyner "Doc" Cadenhead remembers Legendary roots? If you have an interesting story about your grandfather and how he helped tame the wild, wild, Laurel Hill frontier, we would like to post it here. We are especially interested in stories about the original Laurel Hill settlers: Atwell, Clary, Jones, Laird, Richbourg, Stokes, Tucker, Cobb, Fountain, Campbell, Hart, Moore, Whitehurst, and others.
Laurel Hill in the News Rebuilding a downtown treasure - from the News Bulletin, May 14, 2004 Remembering a century of history - from the News Bulletin Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church to celebrate 100th anniversary - By Peggy May, The Northwest Florida Daily News, April 18, 1998
Cemetery Record Archive with headstone photographs
James A. Wood has carefully surveyed Almarante Cemetery (Laurel Hill) and Magnolia Cemetery (South of Laurel Hill) and has graciously allow us to publish the records and photographs here for historians and genealogists. Almarante Cemetery Record Archive History of Almarante Cemetery by Tracey Curenton Magnolia Cemetery Record Archive
Daniel Campbell & Effie McLean Descendants and Other Connections Excerpts from the November 1982 booklet by Mayme Tyner and Mayme Pearl Tyner, Laurel Hill, FL 32567-8236 Copy of booklet contributed to LaurelHillNow by
James A. Wood Index Forward - by Mayme Tyner Campbell Family History and article on Daniel Campbell from the Pensacola Gazette of December 10, 1842 Daniel Campbell of Skye Isle, Scotland - from newspaper clipping A little history in connection to Laurel, Hill Florida - some sections written by Ferrin C. Campbell Josephine Baggett & Honest John Campbell - a quiet, small man in stature with large or prominent ears and wore a beard stained with tobacco juice... Country Living in the early 1900s - Mack and Effie Tyner lived on what could well have been called "The Back Forty." Our music, particularly at night, was... James Campbell - born November 26, 1890, married Pauline Polly Spears...
Miscellany Laurel Hill High School Photo Archive About Pearl Tyner "Doc" Cadenhead remembers Legendary roots? If you have an interesting story about your grandfather and how he helped tame the wild, wild, Laurel Hill frontier, we would like to post it here. We are especially interested in stories about the original Laurel Hill settlers: Atwell, Clary, Jones, Laird, Richbourg, Stokes, Tucker, Cobb, Fountain, Campbell, Hart, Moore, Whitehurst, and others.
Laurel Hill in the News Rebuilding a downtown treasure - from the News Bulletin, May 14, 2004 Remembering a century of history - from the News Bulletin Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church to celebrate 100th anniversary - By Peggy May, The Northwest Florida Daily News, April 18, 1998
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