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 | Tug | American Eagle | 1904-03-05 | 1 | Paid $500 per day to keep Toledo harbor open | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | American Eagle | 1871-11-30 | 3 | Towed schooner Illinois from bay into harbor | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | American Eagle | 1883-09-06 | 3 | Left - could not make it pay here | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | American Eagle | 1908-12-31 | 1 | Almost totally destroyed by fire | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Tug | American Eagle | 1868-09-04 | 1 | Towed a dredge and three dump scow from Frankfort to Michigan City | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | American Giant | 1889-06-08 | 3 | Loaded at upper mill - wharf | |
| Door County Advocate | Motor boat | American Girl | 1924-10-10 | 5 | Took apples and cherries to Milwaukee | |
| Door County Advocate | American Girl | 1949-04-07 | 1 | First vessel to reach Green Bay docks | ||
| Door County Advocate | Freighter | American Girl | 1923-11-09 | 10 | Looking for motor boat Flotilla | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | American Union | 1881-08-25 | 3 | Badly damaged during heavy gale |
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.