The name “Muskegon” is derived from the Ottawa Indian term “Masquigon” meaning “marshy river” or “swamp,” in reference to both the river and the lake. But the name does not do justice to the area or the people who have come to live here. Located along Michigan’s west coast, Muskegon is a land of windswept sand dunes, naturally impounded rivers with natural harbors for shipping and recreation, an abundance of natural resources, a temperate climate, and potential for tremendous growth..

During the early historic era, Muskegon was inhabited by various bands of semi-nomadic Ottawa and Pottawatomi Indians. Perhaps the best remembered of the historic Indian inhabitants of this area was the noted Ottawa chieftain, Pendelouan. He and his people lived in the vicinity of Muskegon Lake in the 1730s and 1740s, until induced by the French to move their settlement to the Traverse Bay area in 1742.

No one knows for certain when the first Frenchman visited the Muskegon area, but we do know that Father Jacques Marquette traveled northward through this 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 this area in 1679. If the French established trading posts in this vicinity, their locations are not known.

The earliest identifiable white resident of the county was Edward Fitzgerald, a fur trader and trapper, who visited the Muskegon area in 1748 and who died here, reportedly being buried in the vicinity of White Lake. Sometime between 1790 and 1800 a French-Canadian fur trader named Joseph La Framboise built a trading post at the mouth of Duck Lake, one of a string of trading posts he maintained along the west Michigan coast. Between 1810 and 1820 several French Canadian fur traders, including Lamarandie, Jean Baptiste Recollect, and Pierre Constant, built posts along the shores of Muskegon Lake.

The political history of Muskegon began 1837 when Muskegon township was organized as a sub-division of Ottawa county. One of the earliest settlers, Henry Pennoyer, was elected the first township supervisor in 1938. As a corporate entity, Muskegon county dates from 1859. Prior to that time the southern three-quarters of the county were attached to Ottawa county, while the northern quarter belonged to Oceana county. At the time of the county’s creation, in 1859, the county was divided into six townships, Muskegon, Norton, Ravenna, White River, Dalton, and Oceans, with a total population of 3,947.

Political development of the area coincided with the start of the lumbering era. The local lumber industry commenced in 1837 with the construction of three small sawmills on the south side of Muskegon lake and another sawmill near the mouth of the White River. The first wave of lumbermen included Charles Mears, Martin Ryerson, Lyman Mason, Charles Hills, George and John Ruddiman, and the members of the Ferry family. By the time the Muskegon lumber industry reached its peak in the mid-1880s, 47 sawmills surrounded Muskegon Lake, while another 16 dotted the shores of White Lake to the north. Muskegon was then known as the “Lumber Queen of the West.” The population consisted of native-born migrants from the Northeastern states, plus immigrants from Canada, the British Isles, Scandinavia, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, as the lumber era was fading away, the local economy was severely depressed, the community disorganized, and the population restive and demoralized. But, Muskegon was on the verge of a major makeover. Led by area industrialists, including Newcomb McGraft, Charles Hackley, and Thomas Hume, the city of Muskegon organized a program of economic development which attracted several substantial businesses to the community, drawn by the natural resources of the area: sand for foundries, hardwood timber for office furniture and sporting goods, second-growth timber for paper-making, and easy access to both the iron and copper mines of the upper peninsula and the rapidly developing automobile plants of southeastern Michigan. Before long, Muskegon was well on its way to becoming a diversified industrial center, having attracted such firms as Shaw-Walker, Brunswick-Balke, Campbell, Wyant, and Cannon, Continental Motors, and the Central Paper Mill to this area. Most of the industrial development was centered in the city of Muskegon and in the newly developed community of Muskegon Heights. Thousands of emigrants from southern and eastern Europe emigrated to Muskegon to further diversify the ethnic make-up of the community.

While the city of Muskegon was flexing its industrial muscles, the area north and south of Muskegon turned to the resort industry for salvation. The White Lake area boasted summer resort communities such as Sylvan Beach and Michillinda, augmented by dozens of tourist facilities and resort hotels. Mona Lake also joined in the tourist boom with several resorts, including the Lake Harbor Resort, which had its own golf course. The city of Muskegon had its own tourist attraction, the Lake Michigan Park, amusement park located on Lake Michigan south of the Muskegon Lake channel.

Farmers found that the soil conditions, temperate climate, and access to Lake Michigan were ideal for developing fruit farms. Apples, peaches, pears, blueberries and other fruit crops added greatly to the area’s economic development.

The Great Depression of the 1930s undermined much of the area’s economic development, with massive unemployment, closed factories, and business consolidations. Despite the bleak economy, the depression decade was noteworthy for the inauguration of several local cultural organizations and entities. The Michigan Theater, now part of the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, was built in 1929 and has been one of Muskegon’s cultural gems ever since. That same year Victor Casenelli, an artist living in North Muskegon, was commissioned to draw his famous series of paintings depicting Muskegon’s history. They are now housed at the Muskegon County Museum, which itself was another product of the Great Depression. The West Shore Symphony Orchestra, which performs regularly at the Frautenthal Theater, was founded in 1939. Other cultural groups founded at about that included the Cosmopolitan Male Singers, organized in 1933 and Muskegon’s Civic Theater organization, established in 1935.

The economy rebounded during World War II in response to Muskegon’s role as an “Arsenal of Democracy,” as Muskegon area factories worked twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week producing tank engines, landing craft, and other war-related products. With so many Muskegon men and women enlisted in the military, area businesses drew replacement labors from other states to fill the void: Latinos from Texas, African-Americans from Arkansas and Mississippi, and whites from Appalachia.

The 1950s and 1960s brought a return to the economic doldrums. Factories cut back on production and laid off employees in unprecedented numbers. Many area businesses closed their doors permanently. The 1960s and 1970s were years of business consolidation, when numerous locally owned banks, commercial enterprises, and industrial establishments were sold to giant national and international corporations.

Since the 1970s the industrial community has continued to diversify in order to cope with an ever-changing and troublesome economy. The largest employer in the county is now Mercy Health partners, a consolidation of three previously independent hospitals. The largest industrial employer is Whitehall’s Howmet Corporation, a division of Alcoa Aluminum. The commercial center, once concentrated along Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon, has moved to newer shopping centers, most notably the Lakes Mall, between Muskegon and Grand Haven.

As this brief history is written, during the sesquicentennial anniversary of the founding of Muskegon county, Muskegon is in the process of re-inventing itself once again, perhaps with an economy based upon travel, tourism, and recreation. The downtown is in the process of being revitalized with new construction, such as the Muskegon Chamber of Commerce’s new building and Baker College’s new culinary center. Muskegon Community College also has plans for future growth in the downtown area. Travel and tourist related businesses, such as the Lake Express Service, Port City Princess, and Michigan’s Adventure amusement park, draw many visitors to the area, as do Muskegon’s many museums and historic sites. Muskegon’s many municipal, county, and state parks are also popular venues for visitors and local residents alike. No one knows what the future will be, but if history is a guide, we will find a way to add another progressive chapter to the many lives of Muskegon

Daniel J. Yakes, Ph. D. , Muskegon Community College, retired