Chapter Two pg 2 The
Middle?
Yes, the middle. A bit odd, you might
think, to tell the End 1st, then the Middle, and finally the Beginning.
Well, in the case of the Christmas Tree Ship, I think it fits.
This chapter if a brief synopsis of how the
Mackinaw came to be the Christmas Tree Ship. After a considerable amount
of research, I found this article in
Great
Lakes & Shipping News Archive Nov 2000:
"11/26/00: After 89 years, the Christmas
Tree Ship is returning to Chicago. On December 1st, at approximately 8:00 a.m.,
the United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw will sail into Chicago Harbor,
with a cargo of Christmas trees to be distributed to needy families through the
United Way. The bright red ship will be decorated from stem to stern and will
dock at Navy Pier. Starting at 5:00 p.m. there will be a re-enactment play,
caroling, and a performance by the U.S. Navy Band, all at no cost to the public.
The Mackinaw will be open for free public
tours on December 2 and 3 from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The event is a re-enactment of the arrival of the three-masted schooner Rouse
Simmons. Each year in the late 1800's and early 1900's the Simmons would arrive
in Chicago with its decks loaded with Christmas trees that were sold directly to
the public from the deck of the ship. This tradition continued until 1912 when
the Simmons was lost in a storm. Reported by: Andrew Severson"
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