Lakeside Cemetery was established in 1877 when the city of Port Huron, Michigan, purchased 148 acres from local resident John Hoffman. At one point the cemetery comprised 176 acres, but over time it was reduced to the current size of 96.5 acres. The Lakeside Cemetery Soldiers' Lot encompasses lots 144 - 159. The 0.174-acre parcel was donated to the United States in 1881, when 135 remains from Old Fort Gratiot were re-interred at the cemetery. There were two installations known as Fort Gratiot; the first dated from 1814-1821, the second from 1828-1879. Both were located on the same site, on the west bank of the St. Clair River, approximately two miles south of Lakeside Cemetery. Of the 135 interments in the soldiers' lot, only 35 are known.