HERMAN SCHUENEMANN

Captain Schuenemann (c.1865-1912), was the last captain of the lumber schooner ROUSE SIMMONS. It was then the custom for some lumber schooners to be used at the end of the season to bring Christmas trees to Chicago from northern Michigan.

On November 22, 1912 the ROUSE SIMMONS left northern Michigan carrying 4,000 trees, many on deck. She was seen by a Life Saving Station at Kewaunee, Wisconsin the next day, flying a distress signal. A storm severely over-burdened the ship by coating the trees on deck with ice and she was lost the next day with all hands.

The most notable maritime Captains are generally remembered for the vessels that foundered under their command. In that respect we should remember Captain Shuenemann as representative of the thousands of sailors who lost their lives at sea while serving to build Chicago to the premier destination on the Great Lakes.

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Captain Schuenemann's wife and family continued to sell Christmas  trees from the dock for years after his death. The story of the ROUSE SIMMONS has inspired songs, documentaries, plays, and the Coast Guard to bring 1,200 Christmas trees annually to be distributed to Chicago families on the first Saturday of December.