Ottawa and Pottawatomi Indians called Muskegon home at least 200 years before Jean Baptiste Recollect opened his trading post in 1836. Michigan's abundant forests created the logging industry.

Lumber mills flourished as the Muskegon River and Lake Michigan provided easy transport. The city was called the Lumber Queen, and it was said that Muskegon lumber built Chicago. The lumber barons' influence is still felt. Charles Hackley's name graces a major street, park, library, and hospital, and the local hockey team is called the Lumberjacks. Shipping followed, with Brunswick, Sealed Power, and Continental Motors among the industrial heavyweights. Residents have also appreciated cultural pursuits. The famed Actors' Colony, founded by the Keaton family, is where Buster honed his vaudeville skills before hitting the big time. Max Gruber's Oddities of the Jungle act featured an elephant that rode a tricycle and bowled. Former area residents include M*A*S*H star Harry Morgan, astronaut David Leetsma, two Miss Americas, singers Iggy Pop and Wayne Static, and sports greats Earl Morrall, Bobby Grich, and Nate McLouth. Snowboarding began here but was called "snurfing" (snow surfing).