Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: The Rouse Simmons (the Christmas Tree Ship)

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The approximate 6,000 ships that have succumbed to raging storms attest to the power of the Great Lakes. As I traveled, writing and compiling information for my three-volume travel series that explores Michigan's coasts, I heard or read the tales left behind by those ill-fated ships. They add a somber, but compelling backdrop to Michigan’s waterways. 

Bow of the Rouse Simmons with a Christmas tree placed on her deck. Photo by Wisconsin Historical Society

The Rouse Simm...