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Smaller stories fill Christmas Tree Ship's history
TWO RIVERS — The history of the Rouse Simmons, the ill-fated Christmas Tree Ship that sank off the coast of Two Rivers nearly 95 years ago next week, contains countless little stories, an author said Saturday.
For years, the ship brought evergreens from the woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula to the streets of Chicago. But on Nov. 23, 1912, the ship sank during a vicious storm, said Rochelle Pennington, author of "The History of the Christmas Tree Ship."
According to legend, Pennington said, the ship can be seen on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and on Nov. 23, the anniversary of the sinking.
Brothers Herman and August Schuenemann worked in Christmas tree trading for years. Both brothers died in the sinking of two separate ships. Hermann Schuenemann and his crew died aboard the Rouse Simmons.
Capt. Herman Schuenemann's wife, Barbara Schuenemann, continued the family tradition by shipping Christmas trees until her death.
"The lake had been the family's enemy as well as their friend," said Pennington, who spoke to a nearly packed audience at the J.E. Hamilton Community House in Two Rivers.
Today, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw carries on the tradition by loading Christmas trees from Michigan and giving the trees to people in need in Chicago.
The story of the Rouse Simmons is so beloved that cities along Lake Michigan think of the Rouse Simmons as their own Christmas Tree Ship, Pennington said.
It was said that Christmas didn't start in Chicago until Capt. Herman Schuenemann docked the Rouse Simmons to the Clark Street Bridge. Schuenemann's deed of bringing Christmas trees to needy families earned him the name "Captain Santa," Pennington said.
Numerous bad omens were ignored before the vessel's final trip in 1912, Pennington said.
Before Capt. Schuenemann set sail, rats disserted his ship. The exodus of rats is considered a bad omen because rats are believed to be the "wisest of mariners." A few crewmembers were spooked and decided not to board ship and returned home.
The Rouse Simmons set sail on a Friday, which was believed to be another bad omen by sailors.
Schuenemann did not heed a warning from Capt. Charles Nelson who had a bad premonition before the trip and was reported to have said "things were not as they should be."
He also dismissed a concern that the ship had a crew of 13 onboard.
Pennington said she had researched the history of the Rouse Simmons for five years before publishing "The Historic Christmas Tree Ship" and "The Christmas Tree Ship: The Story of Captain Santa." Pennington's books are available at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
On Saturday, Pennington recounted old newspaper clippings at the time describing the history of the Rouse Simmons and the circumstances surrounding its demise. Pennington showed artifacts retrieved from the wreck site including a light bulb and silverware. She has had the artifacts since this fall.
Pennington's talk was held in cooperation with the Rogers Street Fishing Village and Museum, which displays the Rouse Simmons wheel and other artifacts of the ship.
The site of the shipwreck, which is several miles off Point Beach, has been placed on the National Historic Register of Places.
Each year, Pennington gives a presentation to 300 children at Two Rivers' Washington House. Saturday's presentation was her first countywide program, she said.
"It was fabulous," said Two Rivers native Elaine Schuetze, 83, of the presentation. "I was born in 1924. I lived through this whole thing."
Schuetze, who currently lives in Manitowoc, said she has "everything" about the Rouse Simmons including a large print of the ship created by artist Charles Vickery.
Gloria Lebrick, 46, "vaguely remembered" the history of the Rouse Simmons before Saturday's presentation.
She was impressed to learn how Schuenemann's wife kept the tradition alive at a time when women didn't even have the right to vote.
Lebrick and her 8-year-old son, Benjamin, were intrigued by Pennington's artifacts including a pair of cufflinks.
Kristopher Wenn: (920) 686-2132 or [email protected]
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TWO RIVERS — The history of the Rouse Simmons, the ill-fated Christmas Tree Ship that sank off the coast of Two Rivers nearly 95 years ago next week, contains countless little stories, an author said Saturday.
For years, the ship brought evergreens from the woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula to the streets of Chicago. But on Nov. 23, 1912, the ship sank during a vicious storm, said Rochelle Pennington, author of "The History of the Christmas Tree Ship."
According to legend, Pennington said, the ship can be seen on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and on Nov. 23, the anniversary of the sinking.
Brothers Herman and August Schuenemann worked in Christmas tree trading for years. Both brothers died in the sinking of two separate ships. Hermann Schuenemann and his crew died aboard the Rouse Simmons.
Capt. Herman Schuenemann's wife, Barbara Schuenemann, continued the family tradition by shipping Christmas trees until her death.
"The lake had been the family's enemy as well as their friend," said Pennington, who spoke to a nearly packed audience at the J.E. Hamilton Community House in Two Rivers.
Today, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw carries on the tradition by loading Christmas trees from Michigan and giving the trees to people in need in Chicago.
The story of the Rouse Simmons is so beloved that cities along Lake Michigan think of the Rouse Simmons as their own Christmas Tree Ship, Pennington said.
It was said that Christmas didn't start in Chicago until Capt. Herman Schuenemann docked the Rouse Simmons to the Clark Street Bridge. Schuenemann's deed of bringing Christmas trees to needy families earned him the name "Captain Santa," Pennington said.
Numerous bad omens were ignored before the vessel's final trip in 1912, Pennington said.
Before Capt. Schuenemann set sail, rats disserted his ship. The exodus of rats is considered a bad omen because rats are believed to be the "wisest of mariners." A few crewmembers were spooked and decided not to board ship and returned home.
The Rouse Simmons set sail on a Friday, which was believed to be another bad omen by sailors.
Schuenemann did not heed a warning from Capt. Charles Nelson who had a bad premonition before the trip and was reported to have said "things were not as they should be."
He also dismissed a concern that the ship had a crew of 13 onboard.
Pennington said she had researched the history of the Rouse Simmons for five years before publishing "The Historic Christmas Tree Ship" and "The Christmas Tree Ship: The Story of Captain Santa." Pennington's books are available at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
On Saturday, Pennington recounted old newspaper clippings at the time describing the history of the Rouse Simmons and the circumstances surrounding its demise. Pennington showed artifacts retrieved from the wreck site including a light bulb and silverware. She has had the artifacts since this fall.
Pennington's talk was held in cooperation with the Rogers Street Fishing Village and Museum, which displays the Rouse Simmons wheel and other artifacts of the ship.
The site of the shipwreck, which is several miles off Point Beach, has been placed on the National Historic Register of Places.
Each year, Pennington gives a presentation to 300 children at Two Rivers' Washington House. Saturday's presentation was her first countywide program, she said.
"It was fabulous," said Two Rivers native Elaine Schuetze, 83, of the presentation. "I was born in 1924. I lived through this whole thing."
Schuetze, who currently lives in Manitowoc, said she has "everything" about the Rouse Simmons including a large print of the ship created by artist Charles Vickery.
Gloria Lebrick, 46, "vaguely remembered" the history of the Rouse Simmons before Saturday's presentation.
She was impressed to learn how Schuenemann's wife kept the tradition alive at a time when women didn't even have the right to vote.
Lebrick and her 8-year-old son, Benjamin, were intrigued by Pennington's artifacts including a pair of cufflinks.
Kristopher Wenn: (920) 686-2132 or [email protected]
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