Charles Hackley | By Unknown
Muskegon, MI—States all have their fare share of ghosts, from the phantom soldiers in Gettysburg, PA, to the ghost of Uncle Charlie in IA. Michigan has its host of specters as well. The ghost of Charles Hackley, for instance, still haunts parts of Muskegon. Hackley, a successful business man and investor in the city, has been seen in spectral form in public and private buildings on multiple occasions throughout the years. As it stands, his legacy in life was grand, but so was it in death.
Biography
Charles Henry Hackley was a lumber baron and philanthropist who, by all accounts, loved Muskegon, MI, with all his heart. Hackley was born on Jan. 2, 1837 in Indiana. As stated in the annals of Hackley history, the family came to Michigan with only $7 to their name. At 15 years old, Hackley worked on roadways in Michigan, which were in their infancy. Afterward, he took to lumbering and learned a few new trades. These included “saw milling” and the “buying and selling of pine trees.” Eventually, he owned his own company and became a prominent producer of lumber boards, something to the effect of 30 million boards per year.
After a long career in the lumber field, Hackley took to philanthropy by investing in Muskegon. First, he helped bring both the Brunswick, Central Paper Co, and Continental Motors to the city. Then, he put money into the library, hospital, and other buildings in the city. With such attention to the city’s prosperity, Hackley’s investments created thousands of jobs. He also supplied substantial monetary gifts to the city. Some sources report that it was at least one-third of his wealth.
Hackley himself has been quoted as stating: ” … I believe that it should be expended during the lifetime of the donor, so that he can see that his benefactions do not miscarry and are according to his intent … I agree with Mr. Carnegie … that it is a crime to die rich.”
While Charles Hackley died on Jan. 10, 1905, some have claimed that his interest in the city remains ardent and supportive. So much so that witnesses say that he still makes appearances in Muskegon from beyond the grave.
The Ghostly Appearances of Charles Hackley
The most notable examples of the ghost of Charles Hackley appearing around Muskegon are in the Hackley Public Library. Witnesses to his spectral presence have claimed multiple hauntings. For instance, people have seen him sitting in a chair and reading a book during the late hours, seemingly flipping through old tombs to occupy his time in the afterlife. Library visitors have also witnessed books flying off shelves as if by unseen hands. Still, others have seen a ghostly figure disappear while crossing through solid walls in a hurry toward its next haunt. Some investigators have also felt “a presence” on the second floor where glass panels beneath visitors already make for an interesting experience. Transparency in this room is both tangible and ethereal.
While the library certainly boasts a wealth of spiritual encounters, the ghost of Charles Hackley has been spotted in other parts of the city as well. In fact, sightings include in the lumberman’s own home. One woman, Carol Williams, claimed to have seen the spectral appearance of a trio of ghosts late one evening. As stated in the book Ghost Legends of Michigan’s West Coast by Amberrose Hammond, Williams identified Hackley in an old photo while at a house she was staying in nearby. After the sighting, she went to a museum and identified that Hackley had been the one she had seen.
“Carol told the museum worker what had happened, and the older woman responded, ‘Oh there’s always Charles Hackley sightings in the downtown area …'” Hammond writes (p. 72).
Hackley certainly made his rounds in life with massive investments in Muskegon. In death, it seems, he wishes to continue to make spiritual deposits through supernatural visitation.
