Vermilion's own re-enactment of the 1887 Rousse Simmons arrival carries trees ashore each December at the Vermilion River. The trees are available for purchase. Community bands, hot chocolate and treats, kids coloring contest and more provide fun for the entire family with a magical celebration of yesteryear.
‘Capt. Schuenemann’ brings to life true stories and legends from a wealth of Great Lakes history for the enjoyment of contemporary audiences.
- Community Band Music
- Purchase A Tree Fresh Off The Ship
- ‘Capt. Schuenemann’ Entertains
- Hot Chocolate & Treats
- Main Street Pumpkin Rolls
- Kids Coloring Contest Ceremony
- Coloring Contest Winners On Display
Sponsored by Main Street Vermilion
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Pre-Purchase Your Tree For Delivery By The Christmas Tree Ship
Don't miss out on that perfect tree this holiday season. Pre-purchase your family Christmas tree from Pinkley Christmas Trees (located behind Pit Barbeque on Liberty Avenue) and have your tree delivered to your family in a special way - by the Christmas Tree Ship! Your pre-purchased tree will be tagged with your name before it's voyage on the Christmas Tree Ship. Pickup your special tree right off the ship at McGarvey's Landing. Ensure you get the tree of your choice while celebrating in the wonderful tradition of the Christmas Tree Ship. Pinkley Christmas Trees will be open 10 am till 9 pm daily. (Trees also available without pre-purchase.)
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HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE SHIP
A ship loaded down with freshly cut spruce trees, its deck covered with festive holiday decorations. The captain jovially welcomes children and their families aboard to select that perfect tree that will greet them Christmas morning.
For more than a century, this scene has played out along the Great Lake's waterfront, first aboard 19th century schooners, now aboard modern-day vessels. It’s all part of the legend of the Christmas tree ship, guided by a man who died at its helm, carried on by the wife and daughters determined to honor his legacy, and embraced by lakeside communities that refuse to let the tradition die.
The story begins with Herman Schuenemann, a mariner in the lumber trade whose business combined with his love of Old World traditions leads him to sell Christmas trees from the deck of his ship docked along the Chicago River. In time, his wife and three daughters join him in the annual enterprise, bringing their holiday cheer to the thousands who welcome the season with a visit to the Christmas Tree Ship.
As its popularity grew, the practice of selling trees from the ship took on increasing importance to Schuenemann’s business, and at the end of a rough year in 1912, he needed the financial boost the sale of the Christmas trees would bring. Sailing from the Michigan shore to return to Chicago, Schuenemann couldn’t know that it would be his last trip. Caught in gale force winds and laden with thousands of trees, Schuenemann’s ship, the Rouse Simmons, strained in Lake Michigan’s turbulent waters. As the gale turned into blizzard conditions, the crew struggled to keep the schooner afloat. Rescuers searching the following day found no sign of the boat, or of any wreckage. The Rouse Simmons was gone.
Knowing what her father would want, the eldest daughter, Elsie, immediately rented a ship and set to selling trees from that ship. For that and twenty years after, his wife and daughters continued the legacy that Herman Schuenemann had started in the late 1800’s.
Years later, the U.S. Coast Guard resurrected the tradition of the Christmas tree ship, loading one of its own icebreakers with trees cut from the forests of northern Michigan and giving them away to needy families from the decks of the boat docked at historic Navy Pier in Chicago. So now, more than a century later, wide-eyed children are again invited to experience a majestic sailing vessel and select the tree that will greet them Christmas morning…and the legend and tradition of the Christmas tree ship is introduced to another generation.
The Christmas Tree Ship - Vermilion
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