Christmas Tree Ship crosses Lake Michigan, bringing holiday spirit, tradition to Chicago

Matt Jaworowski
·2 min read

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Once again, Chicago’s Christmas Ship is ready to bring some holiday spirit from northern Michigan to the Windy City.

Over the weekend, volunteers loaded up the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw with more than 1,000 Christmas trees to be given to families in need in Chicago. It’s a tradition more than a century in the making.

It started as an homage to a family who made the trip for decades, buying trees in northern Michigan to be sold in Chicago. For decades, they returned to port with thousands of trees and were quickly known as the “Christmas Tree Ships.”

  • The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw sits at its dock in Cheboygan, tied off with several snow-covered ropes.
    The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw is docked in Cheboygan, Michigan. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)
  • Three men, including two in their Coast Guard uniforms huddle together for a photo aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw.
    Three crewmembers aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw pose for the camera aboard the ship. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)
  • A large pile of Christmas trees are bundled together at the back of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw.
    More than 1,000 Christmas trees are loaded onto the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw to be taken from northern Michigan to be donated to families in need in Chicago. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)
  • The crew of the USCG Cutter Mackinaw huddles together aboard the ship, wearing their blue uniforms and orange safety vests. A large pile of bundled Christmas trees sits at the back of the ship.
    The crew of the USCG Mackinaw huddles aboard the ship. Their load of Christmas trees can be seen in the upper left corner. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)
  • An orange life ring is coated with snow. It reads "U.S. Coast Guard Mackinaw WLBB 30."
    A life ring from the USCG Cutter Mackinaw is coated with snow. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

Two brothers, August and Herman Schuenemann, lost their lives for their business. August died when his ship was caught in a storm in 1898, and Herman’s boat, the Rouse Simmons, went down in 1912.

The Coast Guard took up the mantle established by the Schuenemanns in 1999. Every year, 1,200 trees are bundled gathered in northern Michigan and loaded onto the Mackinaw for an annual trip to Chicago. The crew also stops during the middle of their trip to hold a wreath ceremony to remember the Schuenemanns and the crew members who were lost on those two ships.

The Mackinaw is greeted with a special reception in Chicago and a ceremony is held the following day to unload the trees and give them away.

The Mackinaw is set to arrive in Chicago on Friday. Tree offloading will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

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