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 | 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. | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Clipper | 1906-05-11 | 1 | Three men drowned by its sinking | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Clipper City | 1868-04-17 | 4 | Supposed to have gone to pieces in storm | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Clipper City | 1 | Capt. is Edwards. Part of history given by Timothy Kelly Sr. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Clipper City | 1897-03-20 | 1 | Blown up - in the way | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Clipper City | 1881-06-30 | 3 | Tonnage 126, built at Manitowoc in 1854 by Bates & Son | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Clipper City | 1883-04-26 | 3 | Schooners Jos. Duvall and Clipper City collided 15 or 20 mi. north of Chicago. Being light, they both reached Chicago in safety. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Mill | Clipper City Mills | 1859-08-12 | 3 | Manufactured flour from first wheat brought in | |
| Door County Advocate | Navigation season | Close of from 1862 - 1878 | 1878-01-10 | 3 | Close of from 1862 - 1878 | |
| Door County Advocate | Close of Navigation | Close of Navigation | 1879-12-18 | 3 | 1862 - 1879 |
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.