The Historical Plaque at the entrance to the Old Wayne Cemetery reads as follows:

When Ezra Derby subdivided part of his land along the Chicago Road in 1835, he reserved a portion surrounding the burial place of his wife Sally as a burial lot. An equal piece of land was later taken from the farm of James Clark on the west side.

There were approximately 600 burials between Sally Derby’s death in March 1834 and that of John Frank in 1916. Some of them unmarked – some stones have been destroyed.

On July 9, 1918, the cemetery was given to the Village of Wayne and closed by vote of the Village Council.

(Erected) 1975

Photo taken 2 December 2004

The main entrance to the Old Wayne Cemetery (Historical), is located on the north side of US-12 in downtown Wayne, between Newberry Street and Elizabeth Street. The last burial in this cemetery was in 1916.

Photo taken 2 December 2004

Old Wayne Cemetery, located on the north side of Michigan Avenue, is a time capsule of the 19th century in Wayne and Nankin Township. Measuring one and ½ acres, the first burial in the eastern half was for Sally Derby in 1834. The western half was dedicated to the cemetery by the Clark family when they buried James Clark there in 1846. The last burial took place in 1916 when John Frank was laid to rest with his parents and brother. City Council officially closed the cemetery July 9, 1918. The fences were repainted and the brick pillars facing south to Michigan Avenue were erected before the dedication of the Historical Marker in 1971.
- "A Guide to Old Wayne Cemetery" - City of Wayne, Community Development Department