Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #805488 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 325 pages

About the Author
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.

Customer Reviews

Historic Christmas Tree Ship
This book captures the true meaning of Christmas and what the holiday is all about. Captain Scheunemann was truely a giving person and his family were very brave to carry on his legacy. I have been to the ceremony of the Christmas Tree Ship at Navy Pier and it is an inspirational ceremony.
Because of this book, the story of Captain Scheunmann has been revived and lives on. Thank you Rochelle.

The most in-depth book about the Christmas Tree Ship.
This is truly a touching story. I purchased the book after attending one of Rochelle's presentations on the tale of the Christmas Tree Ship, an event which I also enjoyed very much. This story has since become a family favorite and we read it every Christmas. Rochelle also has another, smaller book on the Christmas Tree Ship, which is full of beautiful artwork--also a great read!

What an informative book!
This was an amazing book! I loved reading Rochelle's first Christmas Tree Ship book I wanted more information about the story. The Historic Christmas Tree Ship is overflowing with early 1900s newspaper articles, historic photographs, and more details surrounding the story of Captain Schuenemann and his family than you could even imagine. If you're interested in the story, or just looking for a heartwarming Christmas book, I would definately recommend this one!