On November 22, 1912, the Rouse Simmons departed Thompson, Michigan, with a load of Christmas trees bound for Chicago. She never arrived. Despite desperate searches, no one knew where or why she was lost. It was not until 1971 that the Rouse Simmons was discovered in 170 feet of water. Since that time the story of the Rouse Simmons, better known as the Christmas Tree Ship, has grown to legendary proportions. The Wisconsin Historical Society conducted the first formal survey of the Rouse Simmons wreck site for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Learn what the Society’s dive team found, both at the wreck site and in historical documents, to learn more about what happened that fateful November day in 1912.