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 | Clemson | 1904-08-20 | 1 | Got stuck in the draw of 6th st. bridge in Milwaukee | |
| Door County Advocate | Clemson | 1943-12-17 | 1 | Collided with and sunk freighter George Humphrey | ||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Clemson | 1907-06-27 | 1 | Collided off Middle island with the Neilson | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Clemson | 1908-12-11 | 1 | One week ago Monday night the J. J. H. Brown and the Clemson parted company near Whitefish point. The steamer D. M. Clemson has not been seen since and is feared lost. | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Cletus Schneider | 1925-04-17 | 7 | Loaded crushed stone at Smith Quarry | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Cleveland | 1859-09-09 | 3 | Took Gazelle+s place going between Manitowoc and Milwaukee | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Cleveland | 1860-04-06 | 2 | Detained some 6 hrs. to repair a break in machinery | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Cleveland | 1860-05-18 | 3 | Commenced making daily trips between Milwaukee and Manitowoc | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steambarge | Cleveland | 1893-10-19 | 3 | Ashore near Beaver Island, L. Michigan and taking a pounding. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Cleveland | 1 | Reminiscence of things maritime by Timothy Kelly Sr. landed here on steamer. |
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.