Ludington ( ) is the largest city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Mason County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,076. Ludington is a

harbor A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

town located on

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

at the mouth of the

Pere Marquette River The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan in the United States. The main stream of this river is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 21, 2011 running fro ...

. Many people come to Ludington year round for recreation, including boating and swimming on Lake Michigan, Hamlin Lake, and other smaller inland lakes, as well as hunting, fishing, and camping. Nearby are Ludington State Park (which includes the Big Sable Point Light), Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness, and Manistee National Forest. Ludington is also the home port of the SS ''Badger'', a vehicle and passenger ferry with daily service in the summer across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Watching the ''Badger'' come into port in the evening from the end of the north breakwall by the Ludington lighthouse is a favorite local pastime. Ludington has multiple golf and disc golf courses. In summer, the city hosts one of the largest Gus Macker basketball tournaments (with 35,500 spectators), the Ludington Area Jaycees Freedom Festival (July 4), the Lakestride Half Marathon in June, and the West Shore Art League's Art Fair. In 2005, as ranked by AAA, Ludington was the fifth-most-popular tourist city in Michigan, behind Mackinaw City, Traverse City, Muskegon, and Sault Ste. Marie.

History

In 1675, Father

Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette S.J. (June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Sainte Marie, and later founded Saint Ign ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

and explorer, died and was laid to rest near the modern site of Ludington. A memorial and 40-foot iron cross were built in 1955 to mark the location. In 1845, Burr Caswell moved to the area near the mouth of the Pere Marquette River as a location for trapping and fishing. In July 1847, when he brought his family to live there, they became the first permanent residents of European ancestry. Two years later they built a two-story wood-framed house on their farm.Cabot, James L. (2005)
''Ludington: 1830-1930''
p. 7. Arcadia Publishing. After the organization of Mason County in 1855, the first floor of this building was converted into the county's first

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

. Restored in 1976 by the Mason County Historical Society, the structure stands today as a part of White Pine Village, a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

consisting of several restored and replica Mason County buildings (see external links). LightningVolt Ludington Lighthouse

The town was originally named Pere Marquette, then later named after the industrialist

James Ludington James Ludington (April 18, 1827 – April 1, 1891) was an American entrepreneur, businessman, lumber baron, and real estate developer. As a businessman he would loan money to other businessmen. In one such loan he had to foreclose for delin ...

, whose logging operations the village developed around. Ludington was incorporated as a City in 1873, the same year that the County seat was moved from the Village of Lincoln to the City of Ludington. The area boom in the late 19th century was due to these

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s and also the discovery of salt deposits. By 1892, 162 million

board feet The board foot or board-foot is a unit of measurement for the volume of lumber in the United States and Canada. It equals the volume of a length of a board, one foot wide and thick. Board foot can be abbreviated as FBM (for "foot, board measure" ...

() of lumber and 52 million wood shingles had been produced by the Ludington sawmills. With all of this commerce occurring, Ludington became a major Great Lakes shipping port. In 1875, the

Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad The Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad (F&PM) is a defunct railroad which operated in the U.S. state of Michigan between 1857 and 1899. It was one of the three companies which merged to become the Pere Marquette Railway. Early history The F&PM was ...

(F&PM) began cross-lake shipping operations with the sidewheel steamer SS ''John Sherman''. It became apparent quite early that the John Sherman was not large enough to handle the volume of freight and the F&PM Railroad contracted with the Goodrich Line of Steamers to handle the break bulk freight out of the Port of Ludington. In 1897, the F&PM railroad constructed the first steel car ferry, the ''

Pere Marquette Jacques Marquette S.J. (June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Sainte Marie, and later founded Saint Igna ...

''. This was the beginning of the creation of a fleet of ferries to continue the

rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...

cargo across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc,

. The fleet was also expanded to carry cars and passengers across the lake. By the mid-1950s, Ludington had become the largest car ferry port in the world. Unfortunately, due to disuse and declining industry, this fleet eventually dwindled. Currently only one carferry, the SS ''Badger'', makes regular trips across the lake from Ludington, one of only two lake-crossing car ferries on Lake Michigan. During the late 1910s and early 1920s, Ludington was the home of the Ludington Mariners minor league baseball team. A team of the same name currently plays "old time base ball" in historical reenactments of the original version of the game.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (8.92%) is water. The Ludington North Breakwall Light is at the end of the north pierhead on Lake Michigan. Ludington is part of

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan (known colloquially to residents of more southerly parts of the state and summer residents from cities such as Detroit as " Up North"), is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. A popul ...

Climate

Ludington has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

( Köppen ''Dfb'') bordering on the hot-summer subtype ''Dfa'' seen further south in Michigan. Winters are cold and snowy, and summers too are moderated by

, with the record below .

Transportation

All four highways in Mason County go through, or near Ludington. * enters the city from the east, connecting with

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

, Midland and Bay City. It continues across Lake Michigan into Wisconsin via the SS ''Badger'', providing carferry service to Manitowoc. * is a

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

to the south of a junction with US 10 east of Ludington. US 31 and US 10 run concurrently for about east of Ludington before US 31 turns northerly again at Scottville. * is a section of the former US 31 along Pere Marquette Highway east of the city. * is a spur route providing access to Ludington State Park, to the north of the city, from US 10 downtown. * both run through Ludington; USBR 20 ends at the SS ''Badger''.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 8,076 people, 3,549 households, and 2,004 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 4,432 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population. There were 3,549 households, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 43 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.8% male and 54.2% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 8,357 people, 3,690 households, and 2,166 families residing in the city. The

was 2,482.2 per square mile (957.5/km²). There were 4,227 housing units at an average density of 1,255.5 per square mile (484.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.0%

, 1.0%

, 0.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population. There were 3,690 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were

living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,089, and the median income for a family was $36,333. Males had a median income of $31,970 versus $22,809 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,215. About 12.9% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

Just south of Ludington is the

Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant The Ludington Pumped Storage Plant is a hydroelectric plant and reservoir in Ludington, Michigan. It was built between 1969 and 1973 at a cost of $315 million and is owned jointly by Consumers Energy and DTE Energy and operated by Consumers En ...

, which generates pumped storage hydroelectricity. In town, there are Whitehall Industries, a division of the UACJ group (

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

extrusion Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex c ...

and

fabrication Fabrication may refer to: * Manufacturing, specifically the crafting of individual parts as a solo product or as part of a larger combined product. Processes in arts, crafts and manufacturing * Semiconductor device fabrication, the process used ...

Occidental Petroleum Corporation Occidental Petroleum Corporation (often abbreviated Oxy in reference to its ticker symbol and logo) is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States, and the Middle East as well as petrochemical manufacturing in the ...

(manufacturer of

calcium chloride Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a salt with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It can be created by neutralising hydrochloric acid with calcium hydroxide. Ca ...

products), Great Lakes Castings Corporation, Amptech, Inc., and Carrom Company. The Fitch Four Drive Tractor Company was founded in Ludington. FloraCraft, Great Lakes Castings, and Brill are also three big factories there. Whitehall Industries has three manufacturing facilities in Ludington.

Media

Ludington is home to four radio stations and one newspaper. The original radio station was

WKLA WKLA may refer to: * WKLA (AM), a radio station (1450 AM) licensed to serve Ludington, Michigan, United States * WKLA-FM, a radio station (96.3 FM) licensed to serve Ludington, Michigan * WWMN WWMN (106.3 FM) is a radio station owned by John Y ...

, which continues today with a

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...

format at 1450 AM. In the 1970s,

WKLA-FM WKLA-FM (96.3 FM, "96.3 KLA") is a radio station located in Ludington, Michigan broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format. According to http://www.gowithsynergy.com/ it is branded "Hits 96". History The original WKLA-FM The original WKLA-FM is what ...

(

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

) and WKZC-FM (

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

, licensed to nearby Scottville) were added. In 1999, WMOM-FM (

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

, licensed to Pentwater) signed on the air. The '' Ludington Daily News'' has been serving the Ludington area from its location on N. Rath Avenue since the 1880s. The Daily News website records over 4,000 visitors each day.

Education

Students in Ludington attend Ludington Area Schools. Students attend Ludington Elementary School (grades PreK-5), O.J. DeJonge Middle School (grades 6-8), and Ludington High School (grades 9-12). Ludington's teams are known as the "

Orioles Oriole or Orioles may refer to: Animals * Old World oriole, colorful passerine birds in the family Oriolidae * New World oriole, a group of birds in the family Icteridae Music * The Orioles, an R&B and doo-wop group of the late 1940s and earl ...

Notable people

Merrie Amsterburg Merrie Ruth Amsterburg (born in March 1960) is an American singer-songwriter born in Ludington, Michigan, United States. Her music has folk, rock, and pop influences. She has won two Boston Music Awards, a Boston Phoenix Award, and a Jam Magazi ...

– musician * Burr Caswell – early settler and developer of Ludington area and Mason County * Charles F. Conrad – founder of the Lake Michigan Carferry Service * Antoine Ephrem Cartier – early settler and developer of Ludington * Warren Antoine Cartier – early settler and developer of Ludington * Mike Hankwitz – college football coach * Henry L. Haskell – inventor of Haskelite and the carroms game. * Ike Kelley – National Football League player *

– 17th century French missionary who on his way to St. Ignace was brought ashore near the present site of Ludington, where he later died. A shrine in Ludington, in the form of a cross, marks the place where Father Marquette died. * William L. Mercereau – superintendent of steamships for the

Pere Marquette Railway The Pere Marquette Railway operated in the Great Lakes region of the United States and southern parts of Ontario in Canada. It had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and the Canadian province of Ontario. Its primary connections in ...

. *

William Rath William Albert L. Rath (January 28, 1849 – August 10, 1916) was a German-American businessman and politician living in the United States who helped develop Ludington, a harbor town on Lake Michigan in Mason County, Michigan. He was in the l ...

, lumber baron and mayor. *

Justus Smith Stearns Justus Smith Stearns (April 10, 1845 – February 14, 1933) was an American lumber baron and businessman. He was involved in many enterprises that involved commercial real estate development, sawmills, coal, farming, railroading, and electrica ...

– businessman and politician

Notable events

* The Port of Ludington Maritime Museum was opened June 10, 2017. It is housed in the former U.S. Coast Guard Station, now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Guinness world records

* Guinness world record of ice cream dessert over a half mile long on June 11, 2016 - see House of Flavors record * Guinness world record of 1,387 sand angels at Stearns Park Beach on June 10, 2017.

Landmarks

* Warren A. and Catherine Cartier House, NRHP designated mansion

Gallery

File:The Red Door1.jpg, The Red Door Art Gallery File:Old Hamlin Restaurant.jpg, Old Hamlin Restaurant downtown File:Harbor16.jpg, Harbor View Marina File:Harbor3.jpg, Ludington Municipal Marina File:Harbor9.jpg, Playground at Harbor View Marina File:Harbor18.jpg, The Small Pavilion at Harbor View Marina File:U S Coast Guard.jpg, U.S. Coast Guard building File:Ludingtonlight.jpg, Lighthouse by Stearns Park in Ludington File:SS Badger Ludington.JPG,

SS Badger SS ''Badger'' is a passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. Currently, the ship shuttles between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a distance of , connecting U.S. Highwa ...

at Ludington File:S.S. Badger leaving Ludington.webm, Video of

sailing from Ludington (1 minute)

References

External links

City of Ludington''Ludington Daily News''Ludington Area Convention and Visitors BureauThe Official Ludington and Scottville Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control Cities in Mason County, Michigan County seats in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan Populated places established in 1847 1847 establishments in Michigan