Calling Muskegon’s Hackley House

Charles Hackley’s name is on nearly every landmark in Muskegon — libraries, parks, hospitals — and statues of the lumber baron are all over the city. He’s the most iconic figure in Muskegon’s history, and while it’s a shame how many trees were felled to build his immense fortune, Hackley’s philanthropy and his sense of style can’t go unnoticed. To see how the 1% lived during the lumber boom, visit the Hackley and Hume Historic Site during their special holiday hours, and wander around his Victorian era mansion. 

Question for readers: Hackley’s phone number was 44. Since he would have been the first person in Muskegon to own a phone, does that number indicate that he was the 44th person in the state of Michigan to own a phone, or is that nationally? The tour guides weren’t sure, and I’m dying to find out. 

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