The National Archives and Records Administration-Great Lakes Region will host a special program on Thursday December 7 featuring:
* An opportunity to learn about the one tradition shared by all Chicagoans, rich and poor, of the late 1800s and early 1900s: trekking downtown to find the perfect Christmas tree aboard the sailing ships docked along the Chicago River with trees carried from Wisconsin's North Woods.
* Story-telling by author Rochelle Pennington about the Christmas tree ship Rouse Simmons' last voyage in 1912 and how the widow and daughter of the lost "Captain Santa" saved Christmas for Chicago that year.
* An exhibition of original historical documents in the National Archives about the Christmas tree ship Rouse Simmons from the years 1868-1912.

WHEN: Thursday December 7, 2006Rochelle Penningtons' presentations and book signings will be from 1:30-3:00PM and from 7:00-8:30 PM. Seating is limited - call 773-948-9001 to reserve your place. Historical records will be exhibited before and after the presentations.

WHERE: National Archives and Records Administration-Great Lakes Region
7358 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629

The National Archives and Records Administration-Great Lakes Region preserves and provides public access to historical records from Federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The original and microfilmed records in its holdings comprise a wealth of information that document our Nation's maritime and cultural heritage. Researchers of Great Lakes sailing ships and sailors regularly visit the National Archives-Great Lakes Region to reconstruct the histories of individual ships, freshwater sailors, lighthouses, life-saving stations, and shipwrecks using the handwritten documents of U.S. Customs collectors and U.S. Coast Guard surfmen.

The National Archives and Records Administration-Great Lakes Region is located at 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60629, approximately 2 miles southeast of Midway Airport. The entrance is located one block west on 75th Street, just north of Richard J. Daley City College, and parking is free. Maps and travel directions can be found at the National Archives and Records Administration's website: http://www.archives.gov/great-lakes/chicago/