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 | Propeller | Fountain City | 1896-03-28 | 5 | Appointments given | |
| Door County Advocate | Steambarge | Fountain City | 1896-04-25 | 5 | To be fitted out | |
| Door County Advocate | Fountain City | 1862-04-26 | 3 | Run from Fond du Lac during season | ||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Fountain City | 1896-03-21 | 5 | 1895 + 1896 vessel valuations given | |
| Door County Advocate | Propeller | Fountain City | 1896-03-28 | 5 | Will be towed to Manitowoc for continued repairs | |
| Door County Advocate | Fountain City | 1863-04-09 | 3 | Likely to be sold to run the Mississippi River | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Fountain City | 1896-05-07 | 3 | Owned by Leathem & Smith Towing and Wrecking Co., undergoing repairs at Sturgeon Bay, caught fire resulting in considerable damage to her hull. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Four Brothers | 1896-05-28 | 3 | The schooners Glen Cuyler, of Manitowoc, Four Brothers of Chicago, and the Experiment, of Ludington took refuge in this harbor. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Four Brothers | 1882-09-07 | 3 | Cargoes from Jacksonport | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Four Brothers | 1895-05-11 | 5 | Received new bottom planking |
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.