The Rouse Simmons/Christmas Tree Ship Traditional Cache
The Rouse Simmons/Christmas Tree Ship
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“Sight of the little schooner brought joy and gladness to the hearts of hundreds and thousands. The arrival of the ship at Chicago, with its trees lashed to its masts, was a happy traditional occasion, marking the start of the Yule season… The owner of the Christmas Tree Ship was as much loved by his crew as he was by the thousands of children he made happy at about this time of year.”
Manitowoc Herald.
Forty-four years after the Rouse Simmons was launched, it made headlines again – but this time not in a celebratory way. On December 6, 1912, the Milwaukee Sentinel reported that the schooner had gone missing in “the vicinity of Twin River Point” – also known as "the graveyard of the lake." This area had long been considered one of the most dangerous portions of lake Michigan.
The ship was designed to carry timber. It was estimated that the Rouse Simmons moved 200 million board feet during her lifetime serving the Chicago market. The ship could carry up to 350,000 board feet of lumber at a time.
Although the majority of the ship’s life was spent hauling lumber, the vessel became tragically remembered for its last cargo - Christmas trees. On November 23, 1912, Captain Herman Schuenemann was transporting a Yuletide cargo of evergreens when the ship was caught in a ferocious storm and subsequently sank. Captain Schueneman and 17 sailors lost their lives that day. The remains of the wreck are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This cache will bring you to a small memorial on the shoreline of Algoma dedicated to the Rouse Simmons.
Another in my maritime/nautical/scuba themed caches around Door County.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
fueho