Welcome to Clay County St Johns River Florida Genealogy Trails
Please contact US if you have any questions or comments. This county is up for adoption. We appreciate all help we can get to make this a better site. Anything sent to us that we use will have full credit given. Our goal at Genealogy Trails is to transcribe and post genealogical source data so that family researchers can track their ancestors through time, throughout the country. These Florida County websites need a dedicated host to make these sites the best that they can be! If you think that you may be interested in volunteering to host a county or state please view our Volunteer Information page (A desire to transcribe data and the know-how to make a basic webpage is required) Join our mailing lists for researchers looking to connect and share information. You never know who you might meet and what family data they may share with you -- it could start a whole new branch of the family! We also use the mailing lists to announce our website updates. Florida is covered under the South-Eastern Region Mailing List Remember to look around at the other states and consider donating your source information -- every little bit helps someone.	Clay County was created on December 31, 1858, from a section of Duval County. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. Clay County was once a popular destination for tourists visiting from the northern states. The therapeutic, warm springs and mild climate were major draws for visitors. Steamboats brought them to various hotels in Green Cove Springs - the St. Elmo, Clarendon and the Oakland. President Grover Cleveland was the most prominent of such tourists; he had spring water shipped to the White House. Clay County's popularity among tourists peaked during the last three decades of the 19th century. It was later eclipsed by Henry Flagler's extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to points south such as Palm Beach and Miami. The military has also played an important role in Clay County history. In 1939, Camp Blanding opened on Kingsley Lake in central Clay County. The Florida National Guard developed this 28,000 acre complex. During World War II, it trained over 90,000 troops and became the fourth largest 'city' in the state. In Green Cove Springs, Lee Field was a flight training center. After World War II, Lee Field became a base for the mothball fleet. Although Lee Field closed in the early 1960s, Camp Blanding continues to operate today. Clay County is also a popular choice of residence for military personnel who are stationed on bases in nearby Duval County (NAS Jacksonville, NS Mayport). Adjacent counties * Duval County, Florida - north * St. Johns County, Florida - east * Putnam County, Florida - south * Bradford County, Florida - west * Baker County, Florida - northwest Incorporated municipalities * Green Cove Springs * Keystone Heights * Orange Park * Penney Farms Unincorporated Communities * Lake Asbury * Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace * Belmore * Clay Hill * Doctors Inlet * Fleming Island * Lake Geneva * Lakeside * McRae * Middleburg * Oakleaf * Virginia Village
Online Data Biographies Births Cemeteries Census Data Deaths Marriages Newspaper Data History 1883 Pensioners on the Roll Obituaries County Post Offices COUNTY OFFICERS, 1907-1908   WWIIRollDead-Missing  Korean  War Casualty List Vietnam War Casualty List
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