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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | City of Ludington | 1897-07-08 | 3 | The city of Ludington was crowded with summer resorters on its trip Monday. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | City of Ludington | 1897-11-05 | 3 | Milwaukee papers state that the Goodrich steamer City of Ludington is now on her last trip for the season, | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City of Machinac | 1911-08-17 | 1 | Rumored to be converted into a passenger boat | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | City of Mackinaw | 6 | Saw unknown steamer founder in Lake Huron off Sanilac. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | City of Madison | 1871-08-03 | 3 | Loaded hay and flour for Lake Superior | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Propeller | City of Madison | 1877-08-23 | 8 | Burned to the water edge about 35 miles east of Kenosha last week. The crew all saved. She was built in Buffalo in 1857. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Propeller | City of Madison | 1876-10-19 | 8 | Collided with propeller City of Madison. Towed into Kewaunee by the tug C. W. Williams. | |
| Door County Advocate | Propeller | City of Madison | 1877-08-23 | 3 | Destroyed by fire | |
| Door County Advocate | Propeller | City of Madison | 1874-05-21 | 3 | Effort to be made to raise it (sunk at the Door ) | |
| Door County Advocate | Propeller | City of Madison | 1876-07-13 | 3 | Loaded 250 tons of ice |
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.