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 | City of Manitowoc | 1872-09-05 | 2 | On maiden trip to Cleveland with a cargo of 300,000 staves | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | City of Manitowoc | 1872-10-03 | 2 | Stood the test of the September gales | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | City of Manitowoc | 1877-05-17 | 3 | At Montreal from Luith, Scotland with a cargo of coal | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | City of Manitowoc | 1878-06-27 | 3 | Is being fitted out at Racine for a trip to Europe with a cargo of lumber | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Scow | City of Manitowoc | 1892-07-21 | 3 | Cleared with tug Pankratz for Menominee | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | City of Manitowoc | 1877-01-04 | 8 | Capt. Higgie took schooner to Europe and left it at Scotland. | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | City of Manitowoc | 1893-06-03 | 5 | Placed in stone trade | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | City of Manitowoc | 1894-09-01 | 5 | Load of lumber | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Three-and-after | City of Manitowoc | 1872-08-29 | 3 | Launched - built by and for Jonah Richards | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | City of Manitowoc | 1872-09-12 | 2 | Cleared this port for Buffalo |
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.