Death’s Door Passage: A modern day ghost story in Door County?

 

 

 It is no secret that the great lakes are not always kind to the shipping industry. Fall storms blow up in hours creating havoc for any vessel. But does this passage so knick named “Death’s Door” live up to it’s name?

Dating back to the 1600’s, there are stories about warring Native American tribes fighting battles over territory. Many ships have been lost over the years. It is estimated that hundreds of ships have been destroyed in the swirling water and strong winds. Some say that this is particular area has more shipwrecks than any other fresh water source.
But is this place haunted? Due to conflicting currents and unexpected winds, it proved hazardous to shipping vessels in the late 1800’s but recently, it appears that the passage has been tamed. In the nineteenth century, no lives were lost. Experts credit this with the addition of the lighthouses built between 1858 and 1897. They were the sole navigational tools in the time period.
Nowadays, the Washington Island Ferry Line runs trips all summer long across the passage. The trip takes about 20 minutes to reach Washington Island. Along the way, one can see the historic Pilot Island lighthouse, the site of 3 shipwrecks, as well as Plum & Detroit Islands. 

 

The legend behind Death’s Door is not all fiction though. Door County Maritime Museum offers an exhibit called Freshwater Fury, which tells the story of the worst storm in Great Lakes history. It happened on November 7-10, 1913. Throughout the lakes, it claimed 235 souls, 7 of which were on Lake Michigan. More than 40 shipwrecks were recorded, 11 sank with all hands. Waves upward of 35 ft and winds over 75mph combined with the lack of technology proved to be the deadliest storm our area has ever seen. This interactive exhibit provides visitors with the experience that those sailors went through. 

Other Great Lakes shipwrecks include the Griffon, very recently discovered, was the first sailing vessel ever recorded on Lake Michigan, and the legendary Christmas tree ship , Rouse Simmons. 

 

As a child, my father told me about the ship that sank carrying Christmas trees to Chicago. It was November 23, 1912, the Rouse Simmons departed from Thompson, Michigan carrying 3,000-5,000 christmas trees headed for Chicago. It’s captain, Herman Schuenemann, lovingly nicknamed Captain Santa, was at the helm when it was last seen outside of Kewaunee flying it’s flag at half mast (an SOS signal). That was the last sighting of the Rouse Simmons. For months after, the Christmas trees from the ship washed up all over the shores of Lake Michigan. There was no proof until 1924 when some fisherman found the captain’s wallet in their nets. Capt Schuenemann and his crew are commemorated every year by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw. The cutter reenacts the final voyage every year in early December.