The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-02-16
Millionaire Lumberman and Phil
anthropist Dies at Mus.
kegon, Michigan.
CAVE AWAY OVER $4,000, 600.
Mr.. Hack1ey Was Formerly Resident
of This City, and as Boy Worked
at Road-building.-He Died
Worth $15,OOO,OOO.


adorned lumber town into an ideal
city, died in that city Friday after
noon of heart disease, latter three
days illness. The fortune left by
him is estimated at SIS, 100000. More
than So, 900, 900 had been spent recent
~ by Mr.. Hackleylin philanthropy.
He is Survived by three adopted. child
ren and widow, who is seriously i'll.
To the community in which he had
lived since early youth, Mr.. Hack1ey
had given, before his death, number
of splendid public institutions. The
list of his donations includes public
park, with endowment; and statues of
Lincoln, Grant, Farragut, fisherman
and Phil Kearney; public library,
with permanent endowment; man
ua1 training school, withsmaintenanc
and endowment funds; gymnasium,
natatorium and a fine hospital. He
believed that men who winsswea1th in
any community assume duties toward
the citizens of that place. The man
ner in which he responded to this
self-imposed obligation0was magnifi-
cent.
Mr.. Hackley was sborn oat Michigan
City, Ind, Jan. 8, 1897 In the early
forties the family removed toJKeno-
sha. Mr.. Hack1ey 'sreceived This edu-
cation IN the Kenosha schools, but at
the age of fifteen engaged with his
father in the business of road-build-
ing. Many Of the o1d,roads about IKe-
nosha still bear evidence.of his labor.
In 1856, at the age of nineteen, he
worked Eisapassage across Lake Mich
igan to Muskegon Con Ethe schooner
Challenge" in command ofaCaptain
Cameron of the Kenosha Life Saving
station. His entire capital amounted
to ST. Beginning as a day 1aborer IN
a sawmi11, he became by his. shrewd-
ness and the wise use of his oppor-
tunities, the greatest lumber magnate
Of that region. After ali the pine
forests had been cut, the cityssbegan
to retrograde, to prevent which he
built up other industries, using his
wealth and influence to, make new
channels for the activities of his fell
low citizens.
The first gift Of Mr.. Hack1ey to
Muskegon was made May IS, 1888, in
the form of the Hack1ey Public Lii
brary, which cost SIPS, 900, and which
he later endowed with $85, 900. In
1889 he transformed a block in the
center Of the city into public park,
called Hackley Square, at the cost of
$25, 200, and then had bronze statues
of Lincoln, Farragut, Grant, Sherman
and Kearney, by we1l-known scu1ptors,
placed in it at an additional expense
Of S37, 900. AS, works Of art these
statues compare favorab1y with any
thing in the country. Mr.. Hack1ey
also endowed the park. and the total
sum which he had spent upon it up to
the time of his death amounted to
more than $40, 900.
Mr.. Hackley also spent 1913, 600 for a
soldiers and sailors monument, and
then erected and endowed a public
manual training school at the cost Of
almost 100000. Among his latest
gifts were a gymnasium costing
$4,000 and public natatorium cost
ing $4,000. He also gave freely to all
the churches of the city, although he
| belonged to none. He never attended
theatres and is said to have died with
out witnessing a dramatic per-
| Torrance.
The hospital, which represents an
outlay of 5000, coo Or more, is consider
ed one of the finest and most complete
in Michigan. It was especially ac-
ceptab1e to the citizens of Muskegon,
and in honor Of the gift the entire
city gave up day to celebration last
| fall. Mr.. Hackley was made to feel
the gratitude of his fellows in a
manner which must have more than
repaid him for all his loyalty to them.
All of these gifts will be administer
ed forever by the officials, since Mr..
Hack1ey had confidence in the wisdom
of the people representa- tives. Most
of the men who made fortunes in
Muskegon in the days when it was
the greatest lumber center of the
country moved away to enjoy their
wealth in larger communities, but Mr..
Hack1ey remained with the city
throughout his life.
He was known among his fellow
townsmen as ''the happy milliouaire. 2
With the exception of a few trips to
California and South Carolina. he
never left his home for any length OF
1 time. He was the senior member OF
the firm of Hackley & Hume.
i The heavy snow of the past few
| days has buried every catch basin and
i manhole in connectio with the sewer
i age system Of the city. It is claimed
that this condition prevents the foul
| gases of the sewage from escaping
and that naturally it is forced back
and must escape into homes. IF this
is true sickness will surely follow. An
investigation on the part of proper
health officials might not be a bad
thing. Surely the catch basins ought
to be dug out and every chance given
for the gases to escape in the usual
way.