History of Muskegon County, Michigan: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.

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many years this line has been run by the Goodrich Transportation
Company, which is very extensive in its operations, and has a continental reputation for the speed, elegance and comfort of its boats.
The head office is at the foot of Michigan Avenue, Chicago, where
they have extensive docks. - The President of the company is A. E.
Goodrich, Thos. G. Butler is Vice-President and Supt.; G. Hurson,
Secretary; Wmin. H. Wright, Treasurer; and John Singleton, Passenger Agent at Chicago. They have now seven lines of boats, and
take in both sides of Lake Michigan. They now own eleven
steamers, five large and elegant low pressure, side-wheelers, and
six A 1 upper cabin propellers.
BANKING.
There are but three National banks in the county, the Muskegon National and the Lumberman's in Muskegon, with capital of
$200,000 and $100,000 respectively; and the First National, of
Whitehall, with $50,000 capital.
The first bank established in Muskegon City was in 1859, by
Capt. T. J. Rand; in 1864 it became an Exchange Bank with more
extended facilities. On the death of the founder the bank became a
National bank, under the title of
THE LUMBERMAN'S NATIONAL BANK,
in February, 1873, with Major C. Davis as its first President, Henry
Beidler as Vice President, and C. C. Billinghurst Cashier. Its directors have always been prudent and conservative men, which accounts
in a great measure for the large amount of deposits continually
entrusted to their care. This institution has always had in view the
prosperity of the city, more especially its great manufacturing interests, and, as its name implies, is a Lumberman's Bank in that the
greater part of its loans and discounts are made with the lumbering
interests connected with the city and river. Among those intimately connected with its management for many years, as officers
and directors, are: Major Chauncey Davis, the President; A. V.
Mann, I. O. Smith, C. H. Hackley, Alex. Rodgers, W. F. Wood,
and Rollin S. Thompson, nearly all of whom are wealthy and extensive dealers in lumber. The bank is situated on Western Avenue,
not far from Terrace Street, and has just been thoroughly overhauled and refitted, an elegant new front having been put in. This
bank is a stable and prosperous institution.
THE MUSKEGON NATIONAL BANK
was established in November, 1870, and was the first regular bank
in Muskegon. Before this E. G. Comstock had been conducting a
private bank for Mr. Gustinr his father-in-law. Mr. Comstock
died in 1880, in New York. The first President of this bank
was Mr. Gustin. The early Directors were: A. Rodgers, F. A.
Nims, C. H. Hackley, L. G. Mason, E. W. Merrill, and Gustin and
Comstock. The capital at one time was $225,000. but is now
$200,000; the surplus and earnings are $83,713.98. The officers
(in 1881) were: C. T. Hills President; C. H. Hackley Vice President, and Frank' Wood Cashier. The Directors were: C. T. Hills,
A. Hathaway, C. H. Hackley, C. S. Montague, L. G. Mason, D. R.
Shaw, and A. S. Montgomery.
The following is the statement for Oct. 1, 1881:

RESOURCES. LIABILITIES.
Loans and Discounts.....$ 431,592 32 Capital Stock.............$ 200,000 00
Overdrafts................ 1,22291 urplus.................... 40,000 00
U. S. Bonds at Par...... 50,000 00 lTndivided Earnings..... 28,713 9.
(Other Bonds... 19,000 00 Circulation............... 45,000 00
Real Estate, Furniture 1'eposits.................. 359,377 83
and Fixtures.......... 32,000 00 Dividends Unpaid........ 200 00
Expenses and Taxes Paid 3.210 86
Due from U. S Treasurer 2,250 00
Due from Banks.......... 65,219 15
Cash on Hand............. 65.796 57
$ 673,291 81 $673,291 81

The bank building on Western Avenue is a noble structure, and
is on the corner of First Street. It was erected in 1874-75, the
bank entering upon business in it March 5, 1875. They have four
large vaults, one burglar-proof, with fifty-eight safety deposit boxes.
The works are from the Detroit Safe Company.
The last list of officers and directors is as follows;
Directors: C. T. Hills, C. H. Hackley, L. G. Mason, A, S.
Montgomery, Aaron Hathaway, C. S. Montague, and D. R. Shaw.
Officers: President, C. T. Hills; Vice President, C. H. Hackley; Cashier, Frank Wood; Teller, Ray W. Jones; Book-Keeper,
T.D. Whitney; Collection Clerk, Alfred H. Wylie; Exchange Clerk,
P. 0. Lange.
WHITEHALL BANKING.
The first bank in Whitehall was the Exchange Bank, opened
by Frank Blackmarr Nov. 14th, 1870, of which C. A. Hammond
was Cashier. August 11th, 1873, the Lumberman's State Bank
organized under the State banking laws with a capital of $50,000,
and officers as follows: President, Hon. John P. Cook; Vice President, Hon. Elliot T. Slocum; Cashier, Frank Blackmarr; Assistant
Cashier, C. A. Hammond; Directors, Hon. John P. Cook,-Hon.
Elliot T. Slocum; John C. Lewis, Hon. George M. Smith, E. M.
Ruggles, Frank Blackmarr and Charles H. Cook. The new bank
purchased the old Exchange Bank's business. July 5th, 1876, Col.
William Weston purchased a controlling interest in the stock and
was elected President, and on June 26th of the year following his
sonl, I. M. Weston, succeeded Frank Blackmarr as Cashier.
July 17th, 1879, I. M. Weston succeeded his father as President
and principal owner of the bank, and C. A. Hammond, the former
Assistant Cashier, was elected Cashier.
September 1st, 1879, it was re-organized as the First National
Bank of Whitehall, with the same capital and officers.
In 1881 the officers were: President, I. M. Weston; Vice
President, Albert Mears; Cashier, C. A. Hammond. Directors:
I. M. Weston, Albert Mears, B. F. Weston, John C. Lewis, L. G.
Ripley, E. M. Ruggles and S. H. Lasley.
The official statement made to the Comptroller of the Currency
October 1st, 1881, shows: Capital stock, $50,000; surplus and
undivided earnings, $10,151.33; cash on hand, $44,593.47; deposits, $152,256.89.
The bank building, of which we present a cut, is the finest
edifice devoted to business purposes in the village. It was built in
1873, of Milwaukee brick, at a cost of $12,000, and is complete
and elegant in all its furnishing. It contains a large vault, with
double burglar-proof Hall doors. Inside the vault is one of Hall's
latest improved burglar-proof safes, with Sargent's time lock attached, and also a chest of iron safety deposit boxes for customers.
The bank does business for a large area of territory, being the
only one between Muskegon and Pentwater, a distance of forty
miles, and as far east as the Grand Rapids & Indiana R. R. It
takes first rank among the banks of the State as a strong, prosperous, and well equipped financial institution.
For 1882 the Directors are: I. M. Weston, A. Mears, J. C.
Lewis, B. F. Weston, C. A. Hammond, E. M. Ruggles and S. H.
Lasley.
At the Directors' meeting the new board elected I. M. Weston

President and C. A. Hammond Cashier. A semi-annual dividend
of four per cent. was declared, and eight per cent. was passed to the
surplus fund from the earnings of the past six months.
SHIP BUILDING.
The only two points at which ship-building has been carried on,
and that on but a small scale, have been Muskegon City and Whitehall. At the former place the Booming Company was the first to!
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