| Muskegon, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Nickname(s): "Lumbertown" "Port City" "Lumber Queen of the World" "Skeetown" (informal) |
|
| Location of Muskegon within Muskegon County, Michigan | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Muskegon |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commission-Manager |
| • Mayor | Steve Warmington |
| • City Manager | Brian Mazade |
| Area | |
| • City | 18.0 sq mi (46.7 km2) |
| • Land | 14.4 sq mi (37.2 km2) |
| • Water | 3.7 sq mi (9.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 617 ft (191.4 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 38,401 |
| • Density | 2,673.6/sq mi (1,032.3/km2) |
| • Urban | 154,729 |
| • Metro | 172,188 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 49440-49445 |
| Area code(s) | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-56320[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1620963[2] |
| Website | http://www.muskegon-mi.gov/ |
Muskegon (mus-kēg'n) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County.[3] The city is located at the southwest corner of Muskegon Township, but is administratively autonomous.
Muskegon is the greater populated of two principal cities in the Muskegon-Norton Shores Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 172,188 as of 2010. It is further included in the larger Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with a population of 1,321,557.[4]
Muskegon is the largest city on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan.
Contents |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.0 square miles (46.7 km²), of which, 14.4 square miles (37.2 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.5 km²) of it (20.37%) is water. The city is adjacent to two bodies of water: Lake Michigan to the west and Muskegon Lake to the north. The Muskegon River empties into Muskegon Lake at the city's northeast end.
| Climate data for Muskegon, Michigan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
67 (19) |
80 (27) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
95 (35) |
83 (28) |
76 (24) |
64 (18) |
99 (37) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 29.8 (−1.2) |
32.5 (0.3) |
42.5 (5.8) |
54.6 (12.6) |
67.0 (19.4) |
75.6 (24.2) |
80.0 (26.7) |
78.1 (25.6) |
70.3 (21.3) |
58.7 (14.8) |
45.6 (7.6) |
34.6 (1.4) |
55.78 (13.21) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 17.1 (−8.3) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
35.1 (1.7) |
45.1 (7.3) |
54.2 (12.3) |
59.8 (15.4) |
58.8 (14.9) |
50.7 (10.4) |
40.6 (4.8) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
38.29 (3.50) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −13 (−25) |
−19 (−28) |
−10 (−23) |
1 (−17) |
22 (−6) |
31 (−1) |
39 (4) |
36 (2) |
27 (−3) |
21 (−6) |
−14 (−26) |
−15 (−26) |
−19 (−28) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 2.22 (56.4) |
1.58 (40.1) |
2.36 (59.9) |
2.91 (73.9) |
2.95 (74.9) |
2.58 (65.5) |
2.32 (58.9) |
3.77 (95.8) |
3.52 (89.4) |
2.80 (71.1) |
3.23 (82) |
2.64 (67.1) |
32.88 (835.2) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
||||||||
| Avg. snowy days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||||||
| Source no. 1: NOAA (normals 1971−2000),[5] HKO (sun only, 1961−1990) [6] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: ThreadEx (extremes 1892−2010) [7] | |||||||||||||
Source: USTravelWeather.com[8] |}
As of the census[1] of 2000 [1], there were 40,105 people, 14,569 households, and 8,537 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,794.5 per square mile (1,079.1/km²). There were 15,999 housing units at an average density of 1,114.8 per square mile (430.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.9% White, 31.7% African American, 2.3% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.69% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any origins were 6.4% of the population.
There were 14,569 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 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 non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 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 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,929, and the median income 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 age 65 or over.
Human occupation of the Muskegon area goes back seven or eight thousand years to the nomadic Paleo-Indian hunters who occupied the area following the retreat of the Wisconsonian glaciations. The Paleo-Indians were succeeded by several stages of woodland Indian developments, the most notable of whom were the Hopewellian type-tradition, which occupied this area, perhaps two thousand years ago.
During historic times, the Muskegon area was inhabited by various bands of the Ottawa and Pottawatomi Indian tribes. Perhaps the best remembered of the Indian inhabitants of the area was Ottawa Indian Chief, Pendalouan. A leading participant in the French-inspired annihilation of the Fox Indians of Illinois in the 1730s, he and his people lived in the Muskegon vicinity during the 1730s and 1740s, until induced by the French to move the settlement to the Traverse Bay area in 1742.
"Muskegon" is derived from the Ottawa Indian term "Masquigon" meaning "marshy river or swamp".[9] The "Masquigon" river was identified on French maps dating from the late seventeenth century, suggesting that 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.
The earliest known Euro-American resident of the county was Edward Fitzgerald, a fur trader and trapper who first came to 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 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.
In 1830 Muskegon was an Ottawa village.[10]
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.
Major shopping districts in the Muskegon area include:
The Michigan Department of Corrections operates the Muskegon Correctional Facility in southeastern Muskegon. The prison first opened in 1974.[11]
The United States Postal Service operates the Muskegon Post Office.[12]
Muskegon Public Schools was founded in 1860 and serves students from preschool through 12th grade. Additionally, it runs the Muskegon Museum of Art and the Muskegon Training and Education Center. In addition to Muskegon Public Schools, the anchor district for the city, there are several other public K-12 schools. These include Mona Shores, Reeths-Puffer, North Muskegon, Fruitport, Orchard View, Oakridge, and Muskegon Heights. As well as private K-12 schools: Muskegon Catholic Central, Fruitport Calvary Christian, and Western Michigan Christian.
On a side note, many of these schools are noted throughout the state for high school sports. Muskegon High School ranks first in the state of Michigan, and in the top 15 nationally in all-time football victories, With Muskegon Catholic Central they have been perennial powerhouses in MHSAA football playoffs. Muskegon is a city known for their high school football. Muskegon Heights and Western Michigan Christian rank among the top schools in total boys basketball crowns. Mona Shores has emerged as a regular player in the MHSAA Hockey Final Four.
The City of Muskegon is also served by Muskegon Community College and Baker College.
Grand Valley State University's Muskegon Campus is home to the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) and Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) inside the Lake Michigan Center located in downtown Muskegon.
Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, and Grand Valley State University all operate programs out of the Stevenson Center for Higher Education on the campus of Muskegon Community College. It is designed so that an undergrad at MCC may transfer to any of the above schools and complete a bachelors and/or masters degree without having to leave Muskegon.
Muskegon is home to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, located in the Manistee National Forest in the town of Twin Lake.
Once a movie house, the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts includes two theatres (the main Frauenthal house and the smaller Beardsley Theatre in the adjoining Hilt Building). It reopened 11 years ago, and runs JAM Theatrical productions, Muskegon Civic Theatre productions, is home of the West Shore Symphony Orchestra, is the venue for all Muskegon Community Concert Association events, and used to be home to the now-defunct Cherry County Playhouse.
Muskegon also has one the of founding chapters of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Muskegon also houses a moderate-sized private collection of fine art in the Muskegon Museum of Art.
Muskegon Summer Celebration was an eleven-day festival, held during the July 4 holiday every year, that brought national music acts of all backgrounds to the shore of Muskegon Lake at Heritage Landing. Also included was the Muskegon Art Fair, street fair, Village Craft Market, and the carnival rides.
Muskegon Bike Time will be held July 15–17, 2011. From the website: Over 35,000 bikes (with 38 states and Canada represented) and 90,000 people visited the lakeshore community of Muskegon, Michigan for the event in 2010.
The Muskegon Motorcycle Club, organized in 1920, host the Hill Climb every other year, an American Motorcycle Association (AMA) sanctioned race.
The Muskegon Film Festival is held in May.
Each August, the Unity Christian Music Festival takes place at Heritage Landing. In May, Rock the Coast takes place at Michigan's Adventure. Both are organized by Alive on the Lakeshore.
In September, the Michigan Irish Music Festival brings renown Celtic musicians to Heritage Landing on the shore of Muskegon Lake. In addition to music, Irish food, beverages, merchandise and cultural exhibits contribute to the appeal of this event. The Michigan Feis (Irish Dance competition) is affiliated and is held at Muskegon Catholic Central High School.
In early October, the International Buster Keaton Society visit Muskegon to host their annual convention. The event features public showings of Keaton films at the Frauenthal Theater.
Broadway at the Frauenthal (Fall through Spring), brings big-time Broadway musicals to Muskegon. Muskegon is also home to Muskegon Museum of Art and West Shore Symphony Orchestra. The Muskegon Community Concert Association provides concerts from September through May.
Muskegon County Museum and Hackley & Hume Historic Site: Mansions built by Muskegon's lumber barons themselves are restored to their old glory and open to the public. The mansions are operated with the Muskegon County Museum, which details the grand, rich history of Muskegon County, from the Pottawatomi and Ottawa Native 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 deservedly is touted as one of the finest art museums in the Midwest. 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.)[13]
Muskegon is also the home of the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum, which features the USS Silversides, a World War II submarine; the USS LST-393, a World War II amphibious landing ship; and the USCGC McLane, a Prohibition-era United States Coast Guard cutter.
In addition, Muskegon also berths the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper a former car ferry that traveled the same route as Lake Express does today. The boat is in the middle of a long process of being restored to its original form, but in the mean time is open for tours and hosts a museum aboard the vessel with information on both the Milwaukee Clipper, as well as the history of Maritime in Muskegon. Muskegon's entire history surrounds around being a port for commerce or travel, and this is an image the city has embraced.
The Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame exhibits, detailing the area's rich athletic past, are on display at the L.C. Walker Arena.
Camerata Singers, a professional chamber choir, performs at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Muskegon and other locations in west Michigan.
The Harbor Theater in the lakeside neighborhood is a non profit community theater that shows new Independent, foreign, and classic films. They also host guest speakers presenting films.
Muskegon State Park and Winter Sports Complex with all season Luge run.
P.J. Hoffmaster State Park[14]
Pere Marquette Beach The largest free public beach on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Windsurfing, Kite boarding competitions, and professional volleyball tournaments are held here. Its quartz sand beach is a Clean Beaches Counsel certified beach.
Muskegon Lake is a 1st. class Walleye fishery and has many other freshwater species including the Lake Perch. Lake Michigan off Muskegon host large numbers of Coho and Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, and Brown trout, Lake Perch and many other game fish.
Sailing and recreational boating are major summer pastimes with many services and marinas in the area for boats of all sizes.
Muskegon Lakeshore Bike Trail—Bike along the shores of Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan. There are two trails that consist the Muskegon Bike paths, one runs along the east side of Muskegon and the other along the North side.
Michigan's Adventure, the largest amusement park in the state, is located in Muskegon County, a few miles north of the city of Muskegon. Michigan's Adventure features a midway with roller coasters, general rides, amusements, and a full water park.
Muskegon has a long history of involvement in professional and nonprofessional sports.
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Championships |
| Muskegon Lumberjacks | Ice hockey | United States Hockey League | L.C. Walker Arena |
Previous sports teams to play in Muskegon have included:
| Club | Sport | Played from | League | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon Lumberjacks/Fury (1992–2010) | Hockey | 1992–2010 | IHL, UHL | L.C. Walker Arena |
| Muskegon Thunder | Indoor football | 2007–2009 | IFL | L.C. Walker Arena |
| Michigan Mayhem | Basketball | 2004–2006 | CBA | L.C. Walker Arena |
| Muskegon Lumberjacks (1984–1992) | Hockey | 1984–1992 | IHL | L.C. Walker Arena |
| Muskegon Mohawks | Hockey | 1965–1984 | IHL | L.C. Walker Arena |
| Muskegon Zephyrs | Hockey | 1960–1965 | IHL | L.C. Walker Arena |
| Muskegon Lassies | Baseball | 1946–1949 | AAGPBL | Marsh Field |
The Chronicle Seaway Run is run every year in late June. It features a 15k race, 5k race, 5k walk for fun, 15k wheelchair race.
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[15]
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, Muskegon State Park. (Memorial Day-Labor Day, daily; no trips during special events).
Commercial air service is provided by United Airlines at Muskegon County Airport (MKG). Other airlines service the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids.
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 starting to be built around the area.
Several major highways serve the city, including:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||