Group Tours Escort Notes • Muskegon County is located in the western part of the Lower Peninsula along 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. The city of Muskegon is equidistant to both Chicago and Detroit (183 miles) and 100 miles from the State Capitol in Lansing. • Muskegon derives its name from the Chippewa word “Muskego” (Ottawa-“Maskigon”) meaning “river with marshes.” • Benjamin Wheelock changed the face of the city of Muskegon in 1837 by building the area's first sawmill. • In 1887, Muskegon acquired the title of “Lumber Queen of the World.” It was also known as “The city that cut the lumber to build Chicago and a hundred prairie towns.” Much of the lumber used to rebuild Chicago after the great Chicago fire came from the Muskegon area. • Captain Jonathan Walker became a national hero in 1844 when he was tried and sentenced as a slave stealer following an attempt to assist seven runaway slaves find freedom. He was branded on the right hand with the letters SS signifying “Slave Stealer.” He became an ardent abolitionist in the years before the Civil War. At the war's end he moved to Muskegon and lived the peaceful life of a fruit farmer. Upon his death in 1878 he was buried with full honors in a ceremony attended by 5,000 people at the Evergreen Cemetery in Muskegon. A unique marker depicting a likeness of Walker's hand marks his final resting-place. The abolitionist was made famous by John G. Whittier's poem, “The Branded Hand.” • Pere Marquette Park received its name from the famous French Explorer who spent a night near the mouth of Muskegon Lake on April 16, 1675, two days before he died. • Lake Michigan sand dunes have been termed by some as the 8th natural wonder of the world. • A number of nationally recognized figures call Muskegon their “hometown.”:
• Muskegon is the home of “the most publicly accessible luge track in North America.” The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex boasts one of only four tracks in the United States. The track has produced the two time Olympic athlete and bronze medal winner Mark Grimmette. The complex also boasts five miles of lighted cross-country ski trails and a sports lodge. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp occupied the area where the Sports Lodge now stands in the 1930s and 1940s. • The Hackley & Hume Historic Site preserves the homes of Muskegon's most famous lumber baron, Charles H. Hackley, and his business partner, Thomas Hume. The homes are considered some of the best examples of Queen Anne residential style architecture in the country. • Charles H. Hackley (1837-1905) was worth twelve million dollars at the time of his death. He made his fortune in lumber, and when lumber declined, he administered the Chamber of Commerce program that rebuilt Muskegon into a center of industry. Hackley is best known for his philanthropic gifts to the City of Muskegon which include Hackley Public Library, Hackley Art Gallery (now named the Muskegon Muskegon Museum of Art), the Hackley School Administration Building, Hackley Park, and Hackley Hospital. • Many houses were left vacant after the lumber boom died. Many families moved and mills closed. The Bluffton area between Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan became a popular summer destination for circus performers, vaudevillians, and actors. Cool breezes, fishing, boating, and the empty mill houses attracted them. It gave them a location to relax and develop new acts because the theaters were closed during the heat of the summer months. Max Gruber would often take his elephant and great dane for a walk to the lake for a swim. A trained zebra was also in his circus act. 1908 marked the beginning of the Actors Colony Club. Joe Keaton, father of Buster Keaton was one of the founders. Buster Keaton always kept a great love for Muskegon and retained his membership in the Muskegon Elks Lodge. • Heritage Village includes the Muskegon Museum of Art, the Hackley Public Library, The Torrent House, The Hackley School, Hackley Park, the County Museum,the Scolnik House - A Historic House of the Depression Era, the Fire Barn Museum, and the Hackley and Hume Houses. All are in a four-block area. Guided walking tours are available. • The Indian Cemetery, located on Morris Avenue between First and Second streets in Muskegon, is believed to have been used by the Ottawas as early as 1750. The cemetery served as a burial ground for both Indians and settlers from 1806 until 1854. • You can tour a World War II Submarine in Muskegon! The USS Silversides was commissioned into the U.S. Navy just eight days after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The USS Silversides ranks the third highest among all World War II Submarines in ships sunk. No other ship scoring more tonnage sunk exists today, leaving Silversides as the nation's most famous surviving World War II submarine. • The LST 393 is docked in Muskegon. LST stands for Landing Ship Tank. The USS LST 393 was commissioned on December 11, 1942 under her first commanding officer, Lt. John H. Halifax. She participated in three invasions in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and made 75 voyages to foreign shores. She carried more than 9,000 personnel (over half an Army Division) along with 3,200 vehicles. The LST 393 won three Battle Stars on the European, African and Middle Eastern Area and was awarded Service Medals for participation in the following operations:
• From 1941 until 1970 the Milwaukee Clipper carried thousands of passengers and their automobiles between Muskegon and Milwaukee. The ship operated year round between the years 1946 and 1963 and on a summer schedule only from 1964 through 1970. The Clipper became known as the “Queen of the Great Lakes” and is now being lovingly and painstakingly restored to her former glory. • The Monet Garden of Muskegon is located at the corner of Clay Avenue and Fifth Street in beautiful downtown Muskegon. A local business woman had an idea which flourished into the beautiful gardens. The inspiration of the park was provided by the famous Monet Garden in Giverny, France. This picturesque pocket park is maintained by the Michigan Master Gardener Association-Muskegon County Chapter and is free of charge to visitors. • The White River Light Station, built in 1875, is a towering symbol of Michigan's maritime heritage. The building itself is made of Michigan limestone and brick. The first keeper of the light, Captain William Robinson, served for 47 years. This made him one of Michigan's eldest keepers. • The historic Union Depot opened its doors for business on September 22, 1895. The masonry and sandstone walls are typical of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Politicians William Jennings Bryan, Harry S. Truman, Richard M. Nixon and Al Gore have made speeches from the building's shadow. In 1990 the County of Muskegon obtained the building and restored it to its historic grandeur. The Depot was rededicated in 1996 and is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. The Depot is now the home of the Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau. |