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Along the northern shores of Doctors Lake and just a few miles south of downtown Jacksonville, Lakeside is in Clay County, Florida. Whether northeastern Floridians understood the irony or not, the naming of Clay County in the 1850’s seemed a direct slap in the face to earlier pioneers who named nearby Jacksonville. Both Henry Clay, from Kentucky, and Andrew Jackson, from Tennessee, were American statesmen in the first half of the 19th century. Clay served several terms in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Jackson was instrumental in defeating Native American tribes in Florida and was also a major hero in the War of 1812. Clay and Jackson were also bitter political enemies (think Trump-Clinton), originally stemming from Clay’s criticism of Jackson’s invasion of Spanish territory in Florida in 1819. Later, Jackson condemned Clay’s hand in propelling John Quincy Adams into the presidency in the 1824 election that saw Jackson receive more popular votes (sound familiar). Jackson, however, did not have enough electoral votes to declare victory so the decision went to Congress. As Speaker of the House at the time, Clay swung enough votes toward Adams to defeat his rival. Four years later Jackson turned the tables, winning both the popular vote and electoral vote. The two men remained political opponents for the rest of their lives.

Much of the land around Doctors Lake was originally owned by Zephaniah Kingsley who raised cotton, potatoes and oranges on a plantation he named Laurel Grove. Kingsley is a fascinating character in the history of northeast Florida. He originally established himself further north above Jacksonville. Born in England, Kingsley became a slave trader who often traveled to Africa and America, finally settling on Fort George Island where he was quite successful. In 1806 he married a 13-year old African slave named Anna Madgigne Jai, later freeing her and putting her in charge of the Laurel Grove plantation. Considered a walking contradiction, Kingsley vehemently defended slavery yet was loyal to his former slave wife and their four children. Today, Kingsley avenue connects Lakeside with neighbor Orange Park and the St. John’s River.

A Lakeside tutor can adequately prepare you for the toughest academic challenges so you might take time away from the books to enjoy Lakeside and the larger Jacksonville area. Founded in 1930, the Yerkes Center in Lakeside was the first laboratory in the United States to study the behavior of non-human primates, particularly chimpanzees. Over the years more than 65 chimpanzees were studied at the facility and during the 1930’s psychologist Robert Yerkes did extensive research on “Chim” and “Panzee” increasing human knowledge of the great ape.

3,500-acre Doctors Lake offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Most of the lake is surrounded by residential housing with boat docks proliferating along the lake’s thirteen-mile shoreline. Anglers will find excellent fishing with ample habitat for a variety of species such as bluegill, crappie, bass, trout and catfish. The lake is home to blue crab and an abundant number of shrimp. Boating for pleasure is also a popular pastime on Doctors Lake. Visitors can rent pontoon boats or even houseboats to spend more time on the lake enjoying the sunshine or viewing the lake’s many birds.