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 | Schooner | Citizen | 1881-06-30 | 3 | Tonnage 60, built at Manitowoc in 1847 by Jos. Edwards. First vessel built at Manitowoc. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Citizen | 1873-07-31 | 3 | First vessel which sailed to Ahnepee. Made several trips here in 1851. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Citizen | 1866-08-03 | 1 | Info from Man. Herald Apr 2, 1853 - have cleared with heavy freight | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Citizen | 1921-09-23 | 6 | Supplied necessaries as early as 1852 | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | City Concord | 6 | Built 38 years ago | |||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City Kalamazoo | 1897-01-09 | 1 | Burned at South Haven Nov. 30 - to be rebuilt | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | City Marquette | 1894-05-10 | 3 | Came down from the shipyard this week looking as neat as a new Easter hat. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | City Marquette | 1894-05-10 | 3 | Received some repairs on her boiler this week. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | City of Atlanta | 2 | Collided with sch Frank B. Witherbee off Cape Hatteras and sank it. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City of Baltimore | 1910-11-17 | 1 | To Little Sturgeon to load hay |
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.