Art by Mark Fredrickson

The Legend of the Christmas Tree Ship

By Alex Winnick

From the December 2025/January 2026 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will use nonfiction text features in an article about a historic ship to gain more understanding of the topic.

Lexile® measure: 550L

Featured Skill: Nonfiction text features

Vocabulary: bustling, determined, half-mast, legends, theories, U.S. Coast Guard

Topic: Social Studies,

Think and Read

As you read, think about what may have caused the ship to disappear.

DN-0006926, Chicago Daily News collection, Chicago History Museum

the captain

It was November 22, 1912. A boat captain got ready to set sail. The air was as cold as ice. But the captain wasn’t too worried. He had sailed down Lake Michigan many times.

His ship was carrying a heavy load. There were almost 5,000 Christmas trees on board! People said the ship looked like a forest floating on the water. He was taking the trees to Chicago.

The trip was supposed to take a few days. But a week later, the ship had not arrived in Chicago. What happened?

It was November 22, 1912. The air was cold. It felt like ice. A captain got his boat ready. He was not too worried about the weather. He had sailed down Lake Michigan many times.

His ship had a heavy load. It was carrying almost 5,000 Christmas trees! The ship looked like a forest floating on the water. He was taking the trees to Chicago.

The trip was supposed to take a few days. A week passed. The ship had not arrived in Chicago. What happened?

PAUSE AND THINK: What was the ship carrying?

A Lot of Trees

The captain often took trees to Chicago. Chicago was a busy, bustling city. People there needed a lot of wood to build homes and buildings. In winter, they wanted trees for Christmas!

The captain loved his job. He tried to make sure everyone who wanted a tree got one, even if they could not pay for it.

People started calling him Captain Santa. His boat had a nickname too. It was called the Christmas Tree Ship.

Every November, people in Chicago would climb on board the ship. They would pick out their tree. Captain Santa loved decorating his ship to spread holiday cheer.

When Captain Santa set sail on November 22, 1912, he knew a winter storm could happen. But he was determined to deliver his trees before Christmas. He was going to try no matter what.

The captain took trees to Chicago often. It was a busy, bustling city. People needed a lot of wood. They used wood to build homes and buildings. But in winter they wanted trees for Christmas!

The captain loved his job. He tried to make sure everyone got a tree. He gave people a tree even if they could not pay for it.

People started calling him Captain Santa. His boat was called the Christmas Tree Ship.

Every November, people in Chicago would go to the ship. They would pick out their tree. Captain Santa loved decorating his ship. He liked to spread holiday cheer.

On November 22, 1912, Captain Santa knew a winter storm could happen. But he had to try to make the trip. He was determined to deliver his trees before Christmas. He was going to try no matter what.

PAUSE AND THINK: What did people call the captain?

The Ship Is Gone

We don’t know exactly what happened to the Christmas Tree Ship during its trip. But we know that one day after it set sail, the ship was seen farther down on the lake.

The person who saw the ship said that its sails were all torn up. Its flag was flying at half-mast. That means it was lowered halfway down. A half-mast flag meant one thing: Help!

People went out to rescue the ship. They searched for hours. By now, a storm had started. The waves crashed. Snow swirled in the wind. The sky had turned dark. The rescuers couldn’t find the ship.

The terrible news made its way to Chicago. The Christmas Tree Ship was gone. People were devastated. They were very upset.

Over the next few months, Christmas trees washed to the shore of the lake. As time passed, people told many stories about the ship.

Sailors said they would see the ship far off on the lake, but then the ship would disappear. Other people said they could hear the ship’s bell ringing, but they couldn’t see the ship. Nobody knew the truth. People told the stories over and over. Soon they became legends.

We don’t know what happened to the Christmas Tree Ship. The last time it was seen was the day after it left. It was seen farther down on the lake.

The person who saw the ship said that its sails were all torn up. Its flag lowered halfway down. It was flying at half-mast. A half-mast flag meant one thing. Someone needed help!

People went out to save the ship. They searched for hours. A storm had started. The waves crashed. Snow blew in the wind. The sky had turned dark. No one could find the ship.

People heard the bad news in Chicago. The Christmas Tree Ship was gone. People were very upset.

Christmas trees washed to the shore of the lake for several months. As time passed, people told many stories about the ship.

Sailors said they would see the ship. It was far off on the lake. The ship would then disappear. Other people said they could hear the ship’s bell ringing. But they couldn’t see the ship. Nobody knew the truth. People told the stories over and over. Soon the stories became legends.

PAUSE AND THINK: What did people say about the ship?

A Big Mystery

Wisconsin Historical Society

This is the ship that the diver found. It’s still in the lake!

Almost 60 years later, a scuba diver was at the bottom of Lake Michigan. He found something he did not expect. He found the Christmas Tree Ship!

There are many theories, or ideas, as to how it got there. Most people believe that the storm was too dangerous for the ship. The wind, waves, and snow might have made it sink.

Other people think that all those Christmas trees were just too heavy for the ship. The ship was old. It wasn’t strong enough to carry 5,000 trees.

Another theory is that the ship lost its wheel. It couldn’t steer in the storm. Then it sank under the waves.

It will be a mystery until someone finds more clues.

In the meantime, people still remember Captain Santa. They remember all he did for Chicago. After he died, his wife and daughters kept selling Christmas trees.

And to this day, the U.S. Coast Guard honors Captain Santa. A ship sails from Michigan to Chicago every winter. It carries Christmas trees. The Coast Guard gives the trees away to anyone who wants one.

Captain Santa would be proud. 

Almost 60 years later, a scuba diver was at the bottom of Lake Michigan. He found something. It was the Christmas Tree Ship!

There are many theories, or ideas, as to how it got there. Most people believe that the storm was dangerous. The wind, waves, and snow might have made the ship sink.

The ship was old. It wasn’t strong enough to carry 5,000 trees. People think the trees were just too heavy and the ship sank.

Another theory is that the ship lost its wheel. It couldn’t steer in the storm. Then it sank under the waves.

It will be a mystery until someone finds more clues.

Today, people still remember Captain Santa. They remember all he did for Chicago. After he died, his family kept selling Christmas trees.

Now the U.S. Coast Guard honors Captain Santa. A ship sails from Michigan to Chicago every winter. It carries Christmas trees. The Coast Guard gives the trees away to anyone who wants one.

Captain Santa would be proud. 