Lakeside

In 1886, the El Cajon Valley Land Company purchased 6,000 acres of land - now known as Lakeside. A large four-story Lakeside Inn was built as a resort. The Inn was designed by the same architect who designed the Hotel del Coronado. G.H. Mansfield (Vice-President of the land company) built the Castle House in 1887 as a show place and it still remains today. Eight trains ran through Lakeside every day bringing many visitors to the area. Many historical buildings still remain in the town site area on Maine Avenue such as: The Town Hall (1911); Ross House (1905); Neal House (1900) next to the Olde Community Church (1896); Park Market burned down in 1997, Payton’s Hardware rebuilt in the same spot in 1999. The old Lindo Hotel (1887), now the Lakeside Hotel, stands on the corner of River and Lakeshore; The Hartung Bakery (1914) - Later Dent’s Bakery - was built on Lakeshore. A two-mile race track was built around Lindo Lake and on April 20, 1907, Barney Oldfield set a world speed record at the race track. Activities such as boating, horse and auto racing, were popular with the Inn’s guests. (The original Boathouse has been preserved at Lindo Lake Park.) Lakeside soon became nationally recognized as a resort center.