Within the pages of this book, step back in time and visit a small, rural Baptist Church in what is now Okaloosa County, Florida. In 1840, Yellow River Baptist Church was one of the earliest Baptist churches in the Florida Panhandle. Its early members were drawn from the Florida Panhandle and South Alabama, with the original location of the church just west of the banks of the Yellow River and a few miles south of the Alabama border. Through the formation of the State of Florida, the Civil War, WWI, the Depression and WWII, the little, rural church kept the faith and served the community around it. It has served as a community center, a voting precinct, a Masonic Lodge, a short-term schoolhouse when the community school burned to the ground, a gathering place for families and of course a house of worship. Read the history, the trials and tribulations of the church, and meet some of the early members of the church through references from the church’s business meetings, the membership rolls, newspaper clippings and obituaries, and photos shared by descendants. Today, the church still stands as a beacon of Christian love and fellowship, recently celebrating its 182nd year of service. Come join us in a trip through the history of Yellow River Baptist Church.