Herman Schuenemann was not a wealthy man, most sailors aren’t. But he was successful, well-respected, and had a loving wife and three daughters.  He married his wife Barbara in 1891. They were both of German descent, in a time when the area of Chicago was rapidly growing in Germanic and European population. Having been born in Wisconsin, Schuenemann moved to Chicago and established himself as a merchant mariner and a schooner captain.

At the same time, the German tradition of decorating pine trees in your home during Christmas significantly increased in popularity. Combined with the budding German community and this new trend, the demand for baby pine trees soared, and thus was born the Christmas tree trade. 

Show Notes:

[01:04] The beginning of the Christmas tree trade

[01:39] Captain Herman Schuenemann/Captain Santa

[03:11] The Rouse Simmons

[04:38] Shipwrecked

[05:37] Never seen again 

[06:00] The message in the bottle

[06:34] The aftermath

[07:10] Wreckage of the Rouse Simmons

[08:09] Legacy of the Christmas Tree Schooner

Links Mentioned: 

• Christmas Ship

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