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 | 5 | Manitowoc winter fleet with carrying capacity 1890 tons | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Christopher Columbus | 7 | Picture and info on improvements. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Christopher Columbus | 1 | One of winter fleet at Manitowoc. Gross tonnage 1511. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Christopher Columbus | 5 | Carried 250,000 people during the 73 days that it was on duty this year. | |||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Christopher Columbus | 5 | Will make her first trip of this season June 23. | |||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Christopher Columbus | 5 | To make its first trip between Milwaukee and Chicago next month. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Christopher Columbus | 1 | One of winter fleet in this city | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Christopher Columbus | 2 | Sudden current in the Milwaukee river blamed for 15 persons killed. | |||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Whaleback | Christopher Columbus | 5 | Came into port and went into winter quarters here last week. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Whaleback | Christopher Columbus | 5 | Finished season. Arrived here to go into winter quarters. |
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.