The “Christmas Tree Ship” stopped on its way to Chicago to return an anchor unintentionally recovered from a Lake Michigan shipwreck.
Each year, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw is filled with Christmas trees. The ship voyages across Lake Michigan to Chicago where trees are donated to families in need. This year, the ship carried 1,200 trees.
During the voyage, the crew paused to return an anchor that had been unintentionally recovered from the 1895 shipwreck of the schooner Kate Kelly. The crew also took some time to pay respects to those who lost their lives aboard the anchor’s vessel.
The Kate Kelly was built in 1867 in Tonawanda, New York. It was a two-mast, square stern schooner that measured 126 feet long. She was built to transport bulk cargos such as grain, coal, iron ore, and wood products.
The schooner grounded several times and sank twice before sinking a third and final time. Its final voyage was in 1895, where it was set to sail from Alpena to Chicago with a crew of six. On May 13, 1895, the ship got caught in a severe storm in Lake Michigan and sank.
You can learn more about the Kate Kelly from the Wisconsin Historical Society at wisconsinshipwrecks.org. Chicago’s Christmas Ship has more information on the history of the program and ways to donate online at christmasship.org.