The Christmas Tree Ship

The ROUSE SIMMONS was built in 1868 in Milwaukee. She became known as the Christmas Tree ship because for nearly a generation her last haul of each season was the Christmas trees from northern Michigan bound for Chicago. Owned by Capt. Herman Schunemann, the Rouse Simmons became the harbinger of the Holiday Season when she arrived with the year's supply of Christmas trees.

That November of 1912, the weather had been treacherous, and it seemed certain that more storms were in the offing. Capt. Schunemann had a self-imposed deadline of delivering the Christmas trees to Chicago between Thanksgiving and the first of December. To meet this deadline, the captain ignored the signs of the approaching storm on November 22 and set sail. Three crewmen refused to get aboard when they claimed they saw rats leave the ship.

It was late afternoon on November 22 when the Christmas Tree ship left Thompson Harbor in Manistique, Michigan. As the tiny vessel went further and further into the lake, they encountered the full force of the storm. By midnight, Captain Schunemann was being battered at the wheel as the water washed over the deck. The temperature fell and the water began to freeze. As more and more water washed aboard and froze the additional weight drove the schooner deeper and deeper into the sea. Soon the captain, the crew and the ship were helpless under the weight of the trees and the ice.

The Captain raised seven distress signals on the tiny frozen vessel. On shore, the signals were sighted and brave men rowed out into the storm to try and help save the ROUSE SIMMONS. They tried for two hours to get to the doomed ship, but the storm became a blizzard and soon the schooner's sails were in tatters, her decks were encased in ice and the distress pennants were nothing more than rags. It was the last view of the Christmas ship the rescuers had.

There were few Christmas trees in Chicago that season. They were all lying at the bottom of Lake Michigan twelve miles south of Kewaunee.

After that, the ROUSE SIMMONS became a lake legend. Fisherman on Two Rivers claimed they were snagging the water-logged trees in their nets. It was said that before the ship went down, Capt. Schunemann wrote, "Friday. Everybody good bye. I guess we're all through. Sea washed over deck Thursday. We're leaking bad. God help us! Herman Schunemann." He put his note in a bottle which eventually made its way to shore. But these claims seemed to be only legend, not fact. Adding to the legend was that Capt. Schuenemann's wallet did wash up on shore complete with records of purchases of trees and wages for the crew, but not money.

The next time anyone saw the Christmas Tree Ship was in 1971 when Kent Bellrichard from Milwaukee located the ROUSE SIMMONS at the bottom of the lake. He described it as laying on the bottom in an upright position and in perfect shape" still loaded with Christmas trees.

It is said that if you look out into the mists during the Christmas season, you can still see the handsome schooner sailing into shore with her cargo of Christmas trees.

(This story is from BALLADS OF THE INLAND SEAS copyright, Eden Valley Enterprises. Reprinted with permission)

Each year the staff of Eden Valley takes part in the City of Vermilion's re-creation of the arrival of the Christmas Tree Ship. In 2010, Dave Childers will tell the Christmas Tree Ship story and sing holiday songs at the event which takes place on December 4 at 10:30a.m. at the McGarvey's Dock in Vermilion, Ohio.

Eden Valley offers a selection of cards based on historical Christmases including the story of the ROUSE SIMMONS. You can purchase "A Great Lakes Christmas Delivery" to share this Great Lakes story.

For additional holiday information check out see EVE's list of "Holiday Cards & Gifts For History Lovers"