Customer Reviews

Lives and Legends of the Christmas Tree Ships

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On November 23, 1912 the schooner Rouse Simmons disappeared in a gale on Lake Michigan. When the vessel sank beneath the wind-frenzied waves, thousands of freshly cut Christmas trees, which were en route to eager Chicago buyers, were lost forever. So was the beloved captain, Herman Schuenemann, whom Chicagoans dubbed 'Captain Santa' because the annual appearance of his tree-laden ship at Thanksgiving symbolized the arrival of the holidays.

"Lives and Legends of the Christmas Tree Ships" is not an ode to a lost schooner or even a lament for a beloved yet dead holiday tradition. Fred Neuschel uses the wreck of the Rouse Simmons as a focal point in telling the story of the Great Lakes sailors who risked life and limb in the November gales. Herman Schuenemann and his brother August were representatives of a hardy breed that experienced its zenith during the 1870s and 1880s, before railways and roads diminished the reliance of the lake ports on water-based transportation. They persisted in their marine livelihood, even when necessity no longer outweighed the potential danger.

To explain, if not necessarily justify their determination, Neuschel delves into the history of Algoma, WI, and the other lake ports that these men called home. The reader gradually understands that for the Schuenemanns and their contemporaries, fragile wooden vessels and risky autumn excursions were all part of maintaining a proud independence that had been instilled in them since their youth. When improved railways took away much of their business, they resorted to nostalgic traditions such as Christmas tree transport.

In addition, Neuschel explores the evolution and development of the Great Lakes shoreline communities and the impact of European immigrants on the traditions and culture of the American Midwest. The end result is a rich, multifaceted work that will appeal to the general history enthusiast as well as those who enjoy marine memories.

This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in maritime history or even if you just enjoy a well written history book. There are only a handful of Great Lakes historians that come close to the scholarly achievement of Fred Neuschel. His many years of exhaustive research have not only made him THE Authority on the Christmas tree ships, it has enabled him to write a great book that is guaranteed to teach as well as entertain. We can only hope that this is just the first of many books that Neuschel will write.