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 | David Van Valkenburg | 1880-10-21 | 3 | Dismasted off Whitefish Bay | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | David Vance | 1874-06-04 | 4 | Won a reputation for fast sailing | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | David Vance | 1875-06-03 | 3 | Ashore near Sheboygan in fog - a tug went to pull it off and got lost in fog | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | David Vance | 1879-11-20 | 3 | Ran aground in Lake St. Clair last Sunday | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | David Vance | 1883-10-04 | 3 | Struck abutment of Adams street viaduct, Chicago | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | David Vance | 1 | Part of maritime history in Manitowoc by Timothy Kelly Sr. | |||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | David Vance | 1874-04-09 | 4 | To be ready to sail in about a week | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | David Vance | 1874-10-29 | 4 | Capt. Vance a Republican candidate for Legislature | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | David Vance | 1877-05-03 | 3 | New schooner Henriette Esch is a miniature David Vance | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | David Vance | 1881-06-30 | 3 | Tonnage 774, built at Manitowoc in 1874 by Jas. Butler |
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.