Muskegon History and Beyond with the Lakeshore Museum Center

In the 1800s many small communities came together in Muskegon County, with places such as Muskegon, Whitehall, and Ravenna. While these communities grew and remain today, not all did. Located on Crockery Creek a small village named Trent would flourish in the 1800s, but would eventually disappear off the map entirely by the 1970s. What happened to this once thriving settlement? Listen in to find out.

The Great Depression caused upheaval throughout the United States, Muskegon being no exception. Today we look at the impact of the depression in Muskegon and how resident coped with the tough times.

Did you know that Muskegon County was home to several muskrat farms in the 1920s and 30s? Listen in to learn about the muskrat and why farming them became the newest fad in the early 20th century.

Today we examine the history of one of the most prominent milk delivery companies in the area as we look at the history of Sanitary Dairy.

Lumbering was the cornerstone for many cities big and small in Michigan. Today's episode will cover how one of these cities was formed and how it adapted after lumbering ended. Join us as we examine the history of North Muskegon.

L.C. Walker alongside business partner Arch Wilkinson Shaw founded Shaw-Walker a furniture company which would become a national leading brand. Walker and his family would also become great philanthropists in the area, a legacy which still helps provide for much in the area.

By the early 1900s most sawmills on Muskegon Lake had closed down, however the sound of wood being cut could still be heard as a few sawmills remained in business. One of the last to operate was that run by James Gow. Today we look at his life and how he managed to become the last operating lumber baron in Muskegon.

As part of the Great Michigan Read, we have a spoiler free discussion of the book Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley, and many of the topics it brings up about Native Americans. Whether you have read the book or not this episode is still for you!

Links for things mentioned in the episode:

Great Michigan Read Page

https://www.michiganhumanities.org/great-michigan-read/

Braiding Sweet Grass

https://www.amazon.com/Braiding-Sweetgrass-Indigenous-Scientific-Knowledge/dp/1571313567

Info on Boarding Schools

https://boardingschoolhealing.org/education/us-indian-boarding-school-history/

American Indians in Children's Literature

https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/

Book cover art by Moses Lunham

Listen in as we cover the early years of the village of Ravenna. Learn about its strategic location and growth, and how several disasters nearly derailed the settlement.

In the 1970's, Muskegon like many cities went through the process of urban renewal. In this process local and federal fund were used to redevelop downtown Muskegon, tear down older buildings and creating a downtown mall. In this episode we look into the urban renewal process and see where Muskegon ended up at the end of it.