| Notes |
- I have always been fascinated with my ancestor Rouse Simmons. His name was so unique and it conveyed a sense of strength and integrity. When I first became interested in genealogy as a child, I was in awe of Rouse because he was the oldest known Simmons ancestor based on the notes my family had. In 1980 my father, Loren, compiled notes from his mother and his uncle and took it to the Latter Day Saints Library in Utah.
From the notes my father had on Rouse, he was able to trace the Simmons lineage back to 1570. My father returned home with stacks of paper from the library (I still have them) and it was that original library research that enabled me to compile my first version of this website back in 2003.
For me, Rouse Simmons was simply an intriguing ancestor. But “Rouse Simmons” has a whole other history that we did not discover until 2004. My father was reading a newsletter and in it, there was a story about the “Rouse Simmons, Christmas Tree Ship.” Apparently, there was a schooner named Rouse Simmons and it became famous in 1912 for sinking in an ice storm in Lake Michigan. If you Google "Rouse Simmons,” you will be bombarded with information on this famous shipwreck.
The schooner Rouse Simmons had been hauling cargo between Chicago and Michigan. Its captain decided to expand the schooner’s capability and use it to haul Christmas trees from Michigan back to Chicago families. The captain and the ship became wildly popular in the years that followed, but in 1912 the captain made an ill-fated decision to start back Chicago in heavy winds and snow. The ship sunk off Two Rivers, Wisconsin and its wreckage was not discovered until 1971. The anchor of the Rouse Simmons is currently on display in the Milwaukee Yacht Club.
The ship was built in Milwaukee in 1868 by Allen, McClelland & Company. Research indicates that the ship was named for a wealthy Kenosha [Wisconsin] resident who financed the ship's construction. The ship was named for the younger Rouse Simmons – the grandson of my ancestor Rouse Simmons.
My ancestor, the elder Rouse Simmons, was born in Rhode Island in 1775, and he first married Mary Potter and had a son Ezra (one of 5 children).
Ezra Simmons ended up in Oneida County, NY, and married Maria Gilbert – they had 2 sons, Zalmon (born 1828) and Rouse (born 1832).
In 1843 Ezra and Maria moved the family to what is now Kenosha, Wisconsin. Many historical articles focus on Zalmon Simmons, who gained fame and fortune in many business ventures, including founding the Simmons Mattress Company, whose name still thrives today for its brand recognition. Note that the Simmons family no longer owns and operates the mattress company, it is now a public company.
Zalmon’s brother Rouse Simmons was also a prominent businessman in the Kenosha community, and Zalmon decided to name a schooner after him.
The elder Rouse Simmons was widowed, and was married again, to Eleanor Bacte. This is my family lineage. They had 1 son, Elijah Thomas Simmons, and a daughter Harriet.
I am descended from Elijah Simmons.
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Simmons-Truax-Godbout-Ames Family Tree
1775 - 1839 (64 years)
