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 | J. N. Brooks | 1881-10-27 | 3 | Of Escanaba - in for recalking below waterline | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Fishing tug | J. N. Brooks | 1885-06-11 | 3 | Has been laid up at this port | |
| Door County Advocate | Fishing tug | J. N. Brooks | 1902-07-05 | 1 | On boxes for searching, calking + iron refastened | |
| Door County Advocate | Fishing tug | J. N. Brooks | 1883-11-29 | 3 | Lost wheel entirely | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1884-08-21 | 3 | Towed to Manitowoc | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1900-11-03 | 1 | Sold | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1905-12-22 | 1 | Capt. Ole Torrison of Manitowoc arrived here within the week and will fit out and command the fish tug J. N. Brooks, which is gto be operated out of this port the coming winter. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Fish tug | J. N. Brooks | 1905-08-18 | 1 | Looks as bright as a new dollar, having just received a fresh coat of paint. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1899-09-22 | 3 | Steam was raised on the fish tug and she went out and lifted a gang of nets. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1900-05-04 | 1 | Made her last lift, getting only 400 lbs of fish. Owners decided to lay her up for a time. |
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.