MUSKEGON, Mich. — A piece of Muskegon history lives on at the Hackley House, where the legacy of the city's most iconic lumber barons is preserved for generations to come.
WATCH: 'Such great history': Hackley House preserves the legacy of Muskegon's lumber barons
2026 marks 40 years since the site became part of the Lakeshore Museum Center, but it was built between 1887 and 1889 by lumber barons Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume.
Lakeshore Museum Center's Historic Sites Director Erin Schmitz said the two men helped shape the city long after the lumber industry faded.
"They created more opportunities and incentives for different industries and different businesses to come and plant themselves here in Muskegon," Schmitz said.
Those businesses included Brunswick, Shaw Walker and the Amazon Knitting Company.
Hackley's generosity left a lasting mark on Muskegon.
His gifts to the city include Charles Hackley Middle School, Hackley Park, Hackley Hospital (now called Trinity Health Medical Center) and contributions to what is now the Muskegon Museum of Art.
Schmitz said the Hackley House serves as a reminder of Muskegon's broader historical significance, including its role in one of the most pivotal moments in American history.
"We are most well known for helping Chicago rebuild after the Great Fire, and so we were known as the Lumber Queen because of how much wood we were able to put out to Chicago to help rebuild," Schmitz said.
At the peak of lumbering in 1888, there were 47 sawmills operating on Muskegon Lake. When the lumber industry eventually declined, however, Hackley and Hume chose to stay and invest in the community they had helped build.
"I think learning from our history is always something really important, and our city has such great history," Schmitz said.
The Hackley House is open May through October. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Walk-ins are welcome during open hours.
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