Muskegon (/məˈskiːɡən/mə-SKEE-gən) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Muskegon County.[7] Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and pleasure boating, and as a commercial- and cruise-ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expansive freshwater beaches, historic architecture, and public art collection. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan's eastern shore. At the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 38,318.[4] The city is administratively autonomous from adjacent Muskegon Township.
The name "Muskegon" is derived from the Ottawamashkiigong, meaning "marshy river or swamp".[9][10]
European arrival
The "Masquigon" River (Muskegon River) was identified on French maps dating from the late 17th century, suggesting French explorers had reached Michigan's western coast by that time. Father Jacques Marquette traveled northward through the area on his fateful trip to St. Ignace in 1675, and a party of French soldiers under La Salle's lieutenant, Henry de Tonty, passed through the area in 1679.[11]
The county's earliest known Euro-American resident was Edward Fitzgerald, a fur trader and trapper who came to the Muskegon area in 1748 and who died there, reportedly being buried in the vicinity of White Lake. Between 1790 and 1800, a French-Canadian trader named Joseph La Framboise established a fur-trading post at the mouth of Duck Lake. Between 1810 and 1820, several French-Canadian fur traders, including Lamar Andie, Jean Baptiste Recollect, and Pierre Constant, had established fur-trading posts around Muskegon Lake.[11]
Euro-American settlement of Muskegon began in earnest in 1837, which coincided with the beginning of the exploitation of the area's extensive timber resources. The commencement of the lumber industry in 1837 inaugurated what some regard as the most romantic era in the history of the region. Lumbering in the mid-19th century brought many settlers, particularly from Germany, Ireland, and Canada.[12]
Some Muskegon neighborhoods began as separate villages. Bluffton was founded as a lumbering village in 1862 in Laketon Township. It had its own post office from 1868 until 1892. Muskegon annexed it in 1889.[13]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of 18.20 square miles (47.14 km2), of which 4.05 square miles (10.49 km2), or 22.3%, are covered by water.[2] The Muskegon River empties into Muskegon Lake at the city's northeast end.
As of the census[19] of 2010, 38,401 people, 13,967 households, and 7,895 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,702.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,043.4/km2). The 16,105 housing units had an average density of 1,133.4 per square mile (437.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 57.0% White, 34.5% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.2% of the population.
Of the 13,967 households, 32.5% had children under 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were not families. About 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38. and the average family size was 3.09.
The median age in the city was 34.1 years; the age distribution was 23.3% were under 18; 12.2% from 18 and 24; 28.8% from 25 to 44; 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% were 65 or older. The city's gender makeup was 52.1% male and 47.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census[5] of 2000,[20] 40,105 people, 14,569 households, and 8,537 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,794.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,079.0/km2). The 15,999 housing units had an average density of 1,114.8/sq mi (430.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 57.9% White, 31.7% African American, 2.3% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any origins were 6.4% of the population.
Of the 14,569 households, 31.1% had children under 18 living with them, 33.2% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were not families. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42, and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city, the age distribution was 25.8% under 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 110.3 males.
The city's median income for a household was $27,929, and for a family was $32,640. Males had a median income of $29,114 versus $22,197 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,283. About 16.8% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those 65 or over.
Downtown Muskegon serves as the hub for much of Muskegon County. Positioned along the southern shoreline of Muskegon Lake, it stretches for nearly two miles. Downtown is home to a number of hotels, a 25,000-square-foot convention center completed in 2021, and the Historic Mercy Health Ice Arena. Downtown Muskegon is lauded for its walkability and ease of parking.[21] The Muskegon Farmer's Market welcomes more than 10,000 visitors every Saturday in the summer, and the boutique incubator shops and chalets on Western Avenue are a popular attraction for residents and tourists looking to support local small businesses.[22]
In May 2022, local environmental groups announced cleanup efforts along Muskegon Lake officially have been completed, leading the Environmental Protection Agency to begin its study to remove Muskegon Lake from the EPA's list of "Areas of Concern", which was expected to be finalized by the end of 2022 and promised additional new economic activity in the downtown and nearby lakefront neighborhoods.[23]
The Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts[24] includes two theaters (the main historic Frauenthal house and the smaller Beardsley Theater in the adjoining Hilt Building). It was refurbished in 1998 and again in 2021, and runs JAM Theatrical productions. Muskegon Civic Theatre[25] productions, is home of the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra,[26] was the venue for all Muskegon Community Concert Association[27] events, and formerly home to the now-defunct Cherry County Playhouse. The Frauenthal was originally built as the Michigan Theater in 1929.
Muskegon has a well-respected private collection of fine art at the Muskegon Museum of Art.[28]
Muskegon has a growing collection of publicly owned and displayed art pieces. More than two dozen pieces are on permanent display, predominately in the downtown area. Notable pieces include Muskegon, Together Rising (Richard Hunt), The Arch (Stephen Urry), A City Built on Timbers (Erik and Israel Nordic), and various Civil War statues in Hackley Park that date back to 1900 (Charles Niehaus and J. Massey Rhind) .
For many years, Muskegon was home to a 10-day music festival known as Muskegon Summer Celebration. Typically scheduled around July 4, Summer Celebration was known for bringing in major artists for several days, and providing the community with an affordable music-festival experience.[29] The event ended after the 2011 show.
Events held in the town include:
Taste of Muskegon in June
Parties in the Park, every Friday from June to August at Hackley Park
The Lakeshore Art Festival in June
WeDiscover Festival in July, a two-day festival of electronic dance music, import and luxury cars, food, fireworks and family activities.
Motorcycle rally in July
Burning Foot Beer Festival held at Pere Marquette Beach
USS Silversides at The USS Silversides Submarine Museum, Muskegon, Michigan
Broadway at the Frauenthal (fall through spring) brings Broadway musicals to Muskegon. Muskegon is also home to Muskegon Museum of Art and West Michigan Symphony Orchestra. The Muskegon Community Concert Association provides concerts from September through May.
Lakeshore Museum Center (formerly known as Muskegon County Museum)[33] and Hackley & Hume Historic Site: Mansions built by Muskegon's lumber barons themselves are restored and open to the public. The Hackley & Hume mansions are part of downtown Muskegon's Heritage Village—two blocks from Muskegon Lake, and a National Register Historic District. The mansions are operated with the Lakeshore Museum Center, which details the history of Muskegon County, from the Pottawatomi and OttawaNative American tribes and lakeside fur traders to the Lumber Queen of the World to today. Also includes science and nature exhibits.
The Muskegon Museum of Art (formerly known as the Hackley Art Gallery) opened in 1912. Among the highlights of its permanent collection is Tornado Over Kansas, by John Steuart Curry (one of three leading painters, along with Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton, identified as Regionalists and known for their canvases celebrating the rural Midwest).[34]
In addition, Muskegon also berths Milwaukee Clipper, a former passenger ship built in 1904 that traveled the same route as Lake Express does today. The ship (which is a National Historic Landmark) is in the middle of a process of being restored to its original form, but in the meantime is open for tours and hosts a museum aboard the vessel with information on both Milwaukee Clipper, as well as the history of maritime in Muskegon, the Clipper is the last ship of its type. Muskegon is a historical port for commerce and lake travel. The lumbering era through World War II was its busiest historical use. Its image as a port the city has embraced with the local nickname 'The Port City'. It possesses a fine deep-water port and still functions delivering bulk cement, aggregate, and large cargoes to several lakeshore facilities, also coal to the B.C. Cobb power plant, an outdated coal-burning facility due to shut down.
The Muskegon Heritage Museum-The Muskegon Heritage Association is a non-profit corporation founded in 1973 to promote the enhancement of Muskegon's Historic Resources. One of the MHA's missions is to maintain a museum to show the economic, industrial, and social history of the greater Muskegon area. The Museum was begun by the MHA in 1983 to accommodate the donated Corliss Valve 90 hp steam engine. The museum's goal is to preserve information, photos, and artifacts pertaining to The Industries of the Muskegon Area, Historic/Heritage Homes, and Businesses of Muskegon. In 2009 a revitalization of the museum began with a complete rearrangement of the main room adding new displays in the cases and on the walls. A print shop was set up and an Industrial section in the back building was rearranged. Printed signs for all displays were added. In 2010 the museum was expanded into what was the shoe store next door. During 2011-2012 we reconfigured and remodeled the second floor of the building where the Corliss Engine is housed. This is a "Made in Muskegon" exhibit. The museum also added a classroom that accommodates 35 people comfortably with all the AV equipment necessary for any presentation.
Carr-Fles Planetarium, Muskegon
The Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame exhibits, detailing the area's rich athletic past, are on display at the L.C. Walker Arena.
Pere Marquette Beach is the largest free public beach on the western shore of Lake Michigan. Windsurfing, kite boarding competitions, and professional volleyball tournaments are held there. Its quartz sand beach is a Clean Beaches Counsel-certified beach. The beach area is popular with cyclists, runners, and hikers, and sand dunes border the beach to the east.
Muskegon Lake is a first-class walleye fishery and has many other freshwater species, including lake perch. Lake Michigan hosts large numbers of coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead, brown trout, lake perch, and other game fish.
Sailing and recreational boating are major summer pastimes, with local services and marinas for boats of all sizes.
Muskegon Lakeshore Bike Trail allows for biking along the shores of Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan, with two trails for bike paths, one on the east side of Muskegon and the other along the north side, which northerly connects to other trails, such as the Hart-Montague Bike Trail, making it possible to bike from Muskegon to Hart, Michigan, without ever leaving a bike trail.
Michigan's Adventure, the largest amusement park in the state, is in Muskegon County, a few miles north of the city of Muskegon. Michigan's Adventure features a midway with roller coasters, other rides, amusements, and a full water park.
The city operates under a Commission-Manager form of local government. The seven-member city commission consists of four commissioners elected via a ward system and two commissioners elected at large. The mayor is also elected at large and serves as chairman of the commission. The city commission hires a city manager to manage the daily operations of the city.
Education
Muskegon Public Schools was founded in 1860 and serves students from preschool through grade 12. Additionally, it runs the Muskegon Training and Education Center. Muskegon is also served by these private K-12 schools: Muskegon Catholic Central, Fruitport Calvary Christian, and Western Michigan Christian.[37]
In 2010, North Muskegon High School was noted as the top performing public school in the State of Michigan by the state Department of Education.[38]
Muskegon's leading newspaper is The Muskegon Chronicle. The Chronicle is a daily newspaper owned by Booth Newspapers. It started publication in 1857.
Muskegon is served by several local television channels:
WMKG-CD 38 is a low-powered television station serving the area. This station features a homey mix of programming such as television bingo and Dial-A-Bargain. The Dial-A-Bargain show includes a host reading menus from various local eateries. Viewers may then call in and purchase certificates for that establishment at 50% off the regular price.
DSETV-97 is the locally run Government-access television (GATV) cable TV channel based out of City Hall, privately ran by Digital Spectrum Enterprises on Comcast Cable Channel 97. It features live televised City Hall meetings as well as locally made television shows showcasing Muskegon, and is home to local sports events.
MCCTV-98 is Muskegon Community College's television outlet on Comcast Cable Channel 98.
WWMT-TV 3 (CBS and CW), WOOD-TV 8 (NBC), WZZM-TV 13 (ABC), WXMI-TV 17 (FOX), WOMS-TV 29 (MNTV), WGVU-TV 35 (PBS), WOTV (ABC), WZPX (ION), and WTLJ-TV 54 (TBN). Green Bay, Milwaukee, South Bend, and Chicago affiliates are also common in the warmer months.
The Muskegon area is also served by several radio stations. WUVS-LP 103.7 is a popular urban (hip-hop/R&B) and gospel station with local programming as well as Sunday religious programming and local-based talk. Another local low-powered FM station is WUGM-LP 106.1, owned by the Muskegon Training and Education Center, which airs an Urban Oldies format dubbed "M-TEC 106 FM, Rock 'n' Soul." A Newer LP-FM Station WFFR-LP 100.9 also offers local programming along with a classic hits format. The station is based out of nearby Roosevelt Park.
Local radio talk shows include the Ramona Show on WKBZ 1090. On this show the host interviews local small business people. A once-a-week, Friday afternoon show on the same station is called "Talking Muskegon". Hosted by local celebrity Jon Van Wyke, it features homey conversations about area nightlife, his work life and volunteer activities, and the state of the professional hockey team, the Muskegon Fury. It is usually co-hosted.
Other local FM stations include 90.3 WBLV-FM (classical/jazz/NPR), 91.7 WMCQ-FM (religious), WWSN FM 92.5 (adult contemporary), WGVS-FM 95.3 (public radio), WLAW-FM FM 97.5 (country), WLCS-FM 98.3 (oldies), WVIB-FM 100.1 (urban contemporary), WMRR-FM 101.7 (classic rock), WSNX-FM 104.5 (top 40, studios in Grand Rapids), WOOD-FM-FM 106.9 (news/talk, simulcast of WOOD-AM 1300/Grand Rapids), and WMUS FM 107.9 (country). Other local AM stations aside from WKBZ include WSMZ 850, WLAW 1490 (country). Other area stations can be received from Grand Haven (WGHN-FM 92.1, adult contemporary), Grand Rapids (WGRD-FM 97.9, mainstream rock), Ludington, Holland, Zeeland (WJQK-FM 99.3, Christian pop), and Milwaukee.
iHeartMedia is the major radio station owner in Muskegon, owning WKBZ-AM, WOOD-FM, WMUS-FM, WMRR-FM and, WSNX (although WSNX is considered primarily a Grand Rapids station despite being licensed to Muskegon). Cumulus Media owns WODJ-AM, WLAW-FM, WEFG-FM, WLCS-FM and WVIB-FM.
Infrastructure
Transportation
The city on July 2, 2022; the county airport is in the bottom left hand corner. Taken from the International Space Station with north oriented towards the upper right.
Public transportation is provided by the Muskegon Area Transit System (MATS – "The Shore Line"), which operates nine bus routes, three trolley routes, and a paratransit system.[39] MATS and Greyhound serve the Herman Ivory Passenger Terminal.[40]
MATS operates the Muskegon Trolley Company. Three routes cover north side, south side, and downtown; each trolley stops at 11 locations, including Hackley and Hume Historic Site, USS Silversides, and Muskegon State Park. (Memorial Day through Labor Day, daily; no trips during special events.)
Muskegon is the eastern port of the Lake Express High Speed Car Ferry that crosses Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, Wisconsin offering three roundtrips a day in the summer, and two roundtrips in the fall. There are many bike paths being built around the area.
CSX Transportation, along with the Michigan Shore Railway, provide rail service for many of Muskegon's industries. Rail passenger services ended in the 1960s. The nearest passenger rail available is via Amtrak in nearby Holland or Grand Rapids.
In 1937, the Grand Trunk Western began operating ferries that met up with train and carried passengers and automobiles across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee. Earlier, the GTW had operated the ferries out of Grand Haven. The GTW stopped operating the ferries in 1978. The last remaining ferries across the lake would be the ones launching from Ludington, Michigan[43][44] until the Lake Express first came into service on June 1, 2004.[45]
Charles Hackley (1837–1905), lumber baron, philanthropist (Hackley Hospital, Hackley Library, Hackley Administration Building, Hackley Avenue, Hackley Art Gallery, Hackley Park). After a gift of $12 million to the community, the city of Muskegon considered changing its name to "Hackleyville".
Carly Jibson, Broadway and television actress, played Tracy Turnblad in the first national tour company of Hairspray and originated the role of Pepper in the musical Cry Baby
Buster Keaton, iconic comedian and film director; born in Kansas and spent childhood summers in Muskegon with his family in the Muskegon Actors' Colony.[49] A vaudevillian who traveled constantly except in summer, Keaton regarded Muskegon as his home town.
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Sherman, Elizabeth B. (2003). Beyond the Windswept Dunes: The Story of Maritime Muskegon. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 2. ISBN0-8143-3127-0.
^"Station: Muskegon CO AP, MI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-09-15. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^"Index of Railroad Stations, 1430". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 71 (3). August 1938.
^"Canadian National Railway-Grand Trunk, Table 150". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 71 (3). August 1938.
^Hofsomer, Don. Grand Trunk Corporation, The Canadian National Railways in the United States 1971–1992. 1995. Michigan State University Press. ISBN18790-94703
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