Whitehall is a city in Muskegon 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 so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The population was 2,909 at the 2020 census. The city is located to the west of Whitehall Township. Montague is its neighbor.

History

It is located on White Lake (actually the mouth of the White River). Whitehall's recorded history ''circa'' 1859 when Charles Mears, a noted lumber baron to the area, platted the village along with Giles B. Slocum, naming it "Mears". The population continued to grow due to its strategic location for floating and distributing lumber. In 1862, it was renamed "Whitehall" and incorporated as a village in 1867. It was incorporated as a city in 1943.

Geography

Whitehall is in northwestern Muskegon County, about inland from Lake Michigan. White Lake originally emptied into Lake Michigan through a natural channel (see Logging the White: The White Lake Lumber Industry: 1837-1900 by Daniel J. Yakes, Ph. D. and Steven S. Demos, M.D. ontague, Michigan: Looking Aft Publications, 2010 p 2). It is now connected to Lake Michigan by a dredged canal. The city is bordered to the west, across White Lake, by the city of Montague. Montague Township is to the north, Whitehall Township is to the east, and Fruitland Township is to the south. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, Whitehall has a total area of , of which are land and , or 15.3%, are water. The White River enters White Lake between the cities of Whitehall and Montague. The White River is nearly in length and passes through White Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan. In 1675,

Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette, Society of Jesus, S.J. (; June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Society of Jesus, Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Ste. M ...

stopped in the area and learned that the Native Americans called the stream ''Wabish-Sippe'', meaning "the river with white clay in the water", which gave rise to the names of White River and White Lake.

Major highways

*, a four-lane freeway, crosses the northeast corner of the city, leading south to Muskegon and north to Ludington. * is a

business loop A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route that branches off a parent numbered highway at its beginning, continues through the central business district of a nearby city or t ...

through the downtowns of both Whitehall and Montague.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,706 people, 1,153 households, and 678 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 1,288 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.0%

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

, 1.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.5% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 1,153 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were

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

living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.2% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 42.9 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 20.8% 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

of 2000, there were 2,884 people, 1,165 households, and 739 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,262 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.60%

, 0.76%

, 1.14% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.69% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.08% of the population. There were 1,165 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were

living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,641, and the median income for a family was $50,944. Males had a median income of $41,964 versus $18,615 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,544. About 5.5% of families and 7.3% 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 9.2% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Culture and recreation

Music and fine arts

Whitehall is home to the Playhouse at White Lake. The 400-seat theater was built in 1916 to be a performance venue for the White Lake area. In 1973 the theater was in danger of demolition and was acquired and renovated by nearby Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp with the help of a local fund drive and the participation of Whitehall's largest employer at the time, Howmet Castings. Blue Lake had been putting out productions until they built their own on-site facility in 2006. The theater was then transferred to the city, which puts on a season of theater running through the summer. Community fund raising efforts to improve the playhouse and keep it running are ongoing. The Arts Council of White Lake has a 30-year history of providing high quality artistic support to the White Lake Community. They provide numerous opportunities for members of the community and surrounding areas to view, listen to, create, and learn from the arts. ACWL programs, scholarships and grants reach thousands of people each year, and help build a spirited, giving, and global White Lake culture. ACWL also sponsors a local Summer Concert Series and Artisan Market the first Saturday of every month that the Farmer's Market is open. Whitehall is also home to three Frank Lloyd Wright cottages and a house, built from 1897 to 1905. The White River Lighthouse was built in 1875 by Captain William Robinson and served the White Lake area until 1960, when it was deactivated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The brick lighthouse is now a museum and features exhibits about the area's history related to the shipping and logging industries. On May 17, 1953, Mrs. Frances Johnson, the then-keeper of the lighthouse, was a contestant on the long-running TV panel show ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a Panel show, panel game show that originally ran in the United States, between 1950 and 1967, on CBS, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent American revivals. The game uses celebrity panelists ...

''.

Inspiration Art Wall in Whitehall Michigan

In July 2023, the idea of a public inspirational

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

art wall was approved by the city council. It was locatedon the White Lake Pathway bike trail under the Colby Street overpass in downtown Whitehall. Less than a year later, on March 12, 2024, the city council announced that the art wall would no longer be open for artistic expression and would be painted over later that day.

Festivals

*Memorial Day Parade from downtown Montague and downtown Whitehall, meeting in the middle at Covell Park for a

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil ...

, near the White Lake Bridge

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

. - Last Monday in May. *White Lake Area Arts & Crafts Festival in Goodrich Park features more than 150 talented and creative artists, live entertainment, jump houses, and food. - 3rd Saturday of June. *Fourth of July Parade from downtown Whitehall to downtown Montague. *Cruz'in: A parade and display of over 400 classic cars. Starts at Funnell Field in Whitehall and parades to downtown Montague. - Last Friday in July. *Taste of White Lake: Area business and food trucks come together at the Playhouse for a fun evening of food and drinks. *FetchFest: Beer tent and food vendors come together in local brewery, Fetch Brewing Company, back parking lot. *White Lake Chamber Music Festival: Features over 30 events during the 1st week of August. *Christmas Parade from downtown Whitehall to downtown Montague - First Saturday of December.

Economy

Major employers

* Howmet (Whitehall, Michigan, formerly Alcoa) –

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...

components manufacturing *

Michigan's Adventure Michigan's Adventure is a amusement park in Muskegon County, Michigan, about halfway between Muskegon and Whitehall. It is the largest amusement park in the state and has been owned and operated by Six Flags since 2024. The park was previo ...

– amusement park (Michigan's largest amusement park and water park)

Media

Radio

Whitehall is home to several

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

Notable people

Nate McLouth Nathan Richard McLouth (born October 28, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. He was pri ...

, former professional baseball player and

Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fieldin ...

winner * Adella M. Parker, suffragist, politician, lawyer, and educator * Ruth Thompson, first female state representative of Michigan, first female

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from Michigan, first female on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee * Ryan Van Bergen, played

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

for the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, 2008-2011

References

External links

*
White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
{{Coord, 43, 24, 36, N, 86, 20, 55, W, type:city_region:US-MI_source:GNIS, display=title Cities in Muskegon County, Michigan