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The legend of The Christmas Tree Ship is
a true story of faith, hope and love, and is considered one
of the most loved legends of the Great Lakes.
Captain Herman Schuenemann became affectionately
known as "Captain Santa" for his yearly voyages
from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Chicago with a load of
freshly cut Christmas trees during the late 1800's and early
1900's. Families would wait anxiously at the docks for their
choice of the best trees.
Captain Schuenemann's voyage of 1912 was
to be his last. Fully loaded and ready to sail, the Christmas
Tree Ship set out for its final destination on the southern
end of Lake Michigan. Despite the crew's best efforts, the
ship was unable to withstand the gales of the Great Lakes
and went down off the coast of Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
Today, the Christmas Tree Ship is remembered
as one of the most "storied shipwrecks" of the Great
Lakes, and the legend has held its place in history for nearly
a century already.
Through vintage photographs (over 50!),
newspaper clippings, and interviews with persons directly
connected to the story, THE HISTORIC CHRISTMAS TREE SHIP
details the extraordinary events surrounding this loved legend.
Rochelle Pennington is
a freelance author and newspaper columnist from Wisconsin
whose work has been included in several bestselling series
including CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL, DON'T SWEAT
THE SMALL STUFF, and STORIES FOR THE HEART.
She is author of THE CHRISMTAS TREE SHIP, THE
HISTORIC CHRISTMAS TREE SHIP, THE GOLDEN FORMULA,
and co-author of HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW: A SHORT COURSE
IN LIVING WISELY AND CHOOSING WELL, available in two
foreign languages. (Co-authored with H. Jackson Brown, author
of LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK.) Pennington's
research on The Christmas Tree Ship was featured
on The Weather Channel's STORM STORIES holiday special.
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