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 | Tug | Crowell | 1882-06-15 | 3 | Of Manistee, came here on Friday and went into the dry dock for repairs | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Tug | Crowell | 1875-11-11 | 3 | Towed schooner Stampede to Buffalo | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Yacht | Cruiser | 1899-06-30 | 2 | The Yacht Cruiser of Chicago stopped at this port Sunday night, and left the next morning for points of interest on the lake shore. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Scow | Crusader | 1872-04-25 | 3 | Arrived Apr. 22, Chicago. Cleared Apr. 22, Racine, 45 cds wood | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Crusader | 1878-05-02 | 3 | Pulled tug Leviathan off reef | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Crusader | 1878-10-17 | 10 | The Crusader, from Oswego took fire, burned and sunk in the middle of the Straits about 17 miles above Sheboygan on the 10th. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Crusader | 1872-11-14 | 3 | Arrived Nov. 12, Racine. Cleared Nov. 12, Milwaukee, 30 cds wood | |
| Door County Advocate | Lighter | Cruse | 1912-03-28 | 1 | Almost destroyed by fire lying at dock | |
| Door County Advocate | Lighter | Cruso | 1912-02-08 | 1 | Info on repairs | |
| Door County Advocate | Lighter | Cruso | 1915-11-04 | 1 | Engine from schooner fearless put into it |
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.