Was downtown Muskegon built with Confederate Gold?
MUSKEGON, MI - The whereabouts of the Confederate treasury have been a mystery since the end of the Civil War, but two West Michigan men believe they've solved it.
One of the country's most illustrious mysteries, the theories about what came of the fabled "Confederate Gold" are as numerous as they are various.
Two history buffs are putting forward their own theory, one that feels like a real life "National Treasure" movie in which many seemingly unrelated events are brought together into one narrative. At the center of it is Muskegon's most generous philanthropist.
Charles H. Hackley, a lumber baron, is arguably the Lake Michigan community's most influential historical figure.
Although he has been dead for more than 100 years, his name lives on through his many gifts to the community, including Hackley Park, Hackley Public Library, Hackley Hospital and the Hackley Administration Building.
Yet, Hackley's legacy contains a mystery of its own.
When he died in 1905, his net worth was about $10 million, or $261 million in today's dollars, according to the Hackley and Hume papers at Michigan State University.
But a biography Hackley authorized in 1899, in which he gave notes to author Lois Haight, says that he earned $3 million in his lifetime.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2017/03/did_missing_confederate_gold_h.html
