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 | Steamer | Harry E. Yates | 1910-03-10 | 1 | Launched | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Scow | Harry Johnson | 1891-10-08 | 3 | Came neatr sinking off Ahnapee on sunday. Towed to canal for repairs. | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Harry Johnson | 1897-04-24 | 1 | Carrying stone | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Harry Johnson | 1898-05-21 | 1 | Unloading basswood | |
| Door County Advocate | Harry Johnson | 1899-02-25 | 1 | Lost in gale last fall (L. + Smith vessel) | ||
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Harry Johnson | 1898-04-30 | 1 | To start loading stone next week | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Harry Johnson | 1895-11-23 | 5 | Collided with carferry barge | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Harry Johnson | 1896-10-10 | 5 | Stone for pier at Frankfort - then lumber | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Harry Johnson | 1896-02-22 | 5 | Entire new deck | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Harry Johnson | 1896-03-21 | 5 | New decks being put on her |
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.