Newspaper Search

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 Whaleback Clifton 2 Wreckage of the ship found
Door County Advocate Steamer Clifton 1923-12-14 7 Arrived to have unloading device installed
Door County Advocate Clifton 1924-01-18 10 Picture
Door County Advocate Steamer Clifton 1924-02-08 3 To take place of the Andaste carrying stone for L. D. Smith
Door County Advocate Clifton 1933-04-07 3 Picture
Manitowoc Pilot Whaleback Clifton 1 Hope abandoned. Believed to have foundered Sunday Sept. 21, on L. Huron
Door County Advocate Whaleback Clifton 1923-11-30 6 And Lakeland had 97 trips hauling 23,000 automobiles
Door County Advocate Clifton 1924-04-25 12 Having self unloader installed
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Clifton 1924-10-31 1 Mrs. Margaret Anderson, who walked from Sioux Falls, S. D., to Washington to plead for the release of her son who was held at Fort Leavenworth as a deserter, here believing her son had sailed on the Clifton when it was lost. He took another boat.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Clinton 1899-08-11 1 Aug. 9, 1841 the steamer Erie burned when only 30 of 200 persons were saved. They were picked up by the steamer Clinton.

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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.

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