Search below for stories about ships, lighthouses, sailors and anything else about life on Lake Michigan. The database contains references to articles from the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record (June 12, 1873 to Jan. 7, 1927), the Door County Advocate (Nov. 8, 1861 to Dec. 22, 1949), and the Manitowoc Pilot (June 14, 1859 to Dec. 28, 1899). The results will direct you to the date and page in these newspapers where the article can be found.
Microfilm copies of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, Algoma Public Library in Algoma. Microfilm copies of the Door County Advocate are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, the Door County Public Library in Sturgeon Bay, and the Brown County Library in Green Bay. Microfilm of the Manitowoc Pilot are available at the Manitowoc County Historical Society, the Manitowoc Public Library, and the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.
Check with your local library about obtaining the microfilm via interlibrary loan.
| Newspaper | Object | Name | Date | Page | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Christopher Columbus | 1895-09-12 | 2 | Carried about 100,000 passengers between Chicago and Milwaukee. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Whaleback | Christopher Columbus | 1896-08-06 | 3 | Ran into Buffalo street bridge in Milwaukee and almost knocked it into the river. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Whaleback | Christopher Columbus | 1897-07-08 | 4 | Is to be turned in to a floating theater and will run between Milwaukee and Chicago | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Christopher Columbus | 1897-07-22 | 3 | Captain Smith filed charges against Captain Stines due to collision. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Whaleback | Christopher Columbus | 1898-01-27 | 3 | Goodrich Transportation bought whaleback to end strife with Virginia. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Whaleback | Christopher Columbus | 1898-09-08 | 3 | Will winter here. Before laying up she will take an excursion from this city to Sheboygan. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Christopher Columbus | 1898-09-29 | 4 | In from Marinette with a large number of excursionists. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Whaleback | Christopher Columbus | 1898-10-27 | 3 | Goodrich Transportation company has announced the purchase of vessel. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Christopher Columbus | 1899-03-30 | 2 | Apt. of the Goodrich Trans. Co.;Capt. R. Smith; eng., Geo. McLaughlin; purser, J. Fifield. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Christopher Columbus | 1899-06-08 | 8 | Thorough explanation of work done on the Christopher Columbus. |
This database is a cooperative effort of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA), the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS), and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. The project is spearheaded by WUAA member Russel Leitz, who helped develop a framework for the database and painstakingly combed through 54 years of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record, 87 years of the Door County Advocate and 40 years of the Manitowoc Pilot for maritime news. The more than 50,000 references are the fruit of his labor alone.