LUDINGTON

city, seat (1855) of Mason county, western Michigan, U.S. It is on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River, 58 miles (93 km) north of Muskegon. Settled in the 1840s, it was originally known as Marquette for Jacques Marquette, the Jesuit explorer who died there in 1675 (a memorial cross near the harbour marks the site). It was later (1871) named for James Ludington, a local lumberman. The city is a Great Lakes port with passenger, rail, and auto-ferry service to points in Wisconsin. Manufactures include wood and metal products, watchcases, and highway and railway equipment. Ludington State Park is 8 miles (13 km) north. Inc. city, 1873. Pop. (1990) 8,507.