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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City of Racine | 1889-07-20 | 3 | Trout wheel substituted for Sheriff wheel | |
| Door County Advocate | City of Racine | 1902-06-28 | 1 | Taken off route and substituted by Atlanta - not Iowa | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | City of Racine | 1889-05-02 | 3 | Information on the new steamer. It will be in command of Capt. Gilman, formerly of the City of Ludington. | |
| Door County Advocate | Propeller | City of Racine | 1889-05-18 | 3 | Nearing completion | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City of Racine | 1890-09-06 | 5 | Made run from Muskegon to Milwaukee in six hrs. + fifty minutes | |
| Door County Advocate | Liner | City of Racine | 1902-08-23 | 1 | Damaged a dredge to the extent of $1200 | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City of Rome | 1902-09-20 | 1 | Sprung a leak - beached | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City of Rome | 1913-12-11 | 1 | Southbound | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | City of Rome | 1898-12-24 | 1 | Ice victom - hogged + full of water | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | City of Rome | 1895-05-23 | 3 | Loaded largest cargo to leave Milwaukee this year. 130,000 bu. of oats. |
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.