Muskegon History and Beyond with the Lakeshore Museum Center

The Pine Street Fire of 1891 has gone down in Muskegon's history as the second worst fire to occur. The fire would  destroy the heart of the business district on Pine Street which would never recover. 

The Occidental Hotel was for a long time the largest and most elegant hotel in Muskegon. As time went on this hotel endured many hardships and changes until it was forced to close, leading to its implosion. Many Muskegon residents still have fond memories of this one time Muskegon landmark. 

Catherine Hackley-Holt was one of the early pioneer women in Muskegon County. She lived through the ups and downs of lumbering and the beginning of the industrial period in Muskegon. Even though she had many stories to tell, very little is known of her life besides the accomplishments of her husbands. Listen in as we try to dissect the history of this early pioneer and discover why so little is known about her.

Around 10,000 years ago the last Ice Age giants became extinct, leaving only their remains to let us know they were once here. One of the most commonly found remains belongs to a creature that looked like a hairy elephant, I'm talking of course about the mastodon. These large creatures bones can be found across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, including in West Michigan were several remains have been uncovered. Join with us as we tell the story of two of these mastodons discoveries.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Link

https://grpmcollections.org/Detail/objects/183970 

This episode looks at the history of beer in Muskegon, and focuses on the Muskegon Brewing Company which was at one point the largest brewery in the state of Michigan. 

Born in Muskegon, Haddon Sundblom would go on to create print ads for some of the biggest companies in the 1930s-1960s. His most famous ads were a series of artwork he create for Coca-Cola that featured St. Nicholas. These ads would help shape our modern view of Santa and are still identifiable and cherished today.

While Major Noah Ferry had a relatively short life, his and his families impact can still be seen in Western Michigan. Tune in to learn about the life of Noah Ferry, how he met his end on the battle field of Gettysburg, and how he is still remembered today.  

Foundries have long been important to Muskegon's industry. Today we examine one of the earliest and most successful of these, Rodgers Iron Works. 

In today's podcast we interview local historian Ron Pesch about the oldest football team in Muskegon County and one of the most successful programs in the nation, the Muskegon Big Reds. 

Of all the pilots that have lived in or visited Muskegon few have the credentials to match those of Cecil Sinclair. Born in 1888, Cecil or 'Sinnie' as he was commonly known was alive for the birth of flight and became an earlier pioneer in it. He was one of the first 1,000 pilots licensed, and he rubbed shoulders with the most famous fliers of all time including Charles Lindbergh. Learn the amazing story of this early pilot and how his journey brought him to Muskegon, a place he ended up calling home.