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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1902-05-09 | 1 | Chapek Bros., bought the schooner Leo and brought her to this port in tow of the tug J. N Brooks. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1899-07-14 | 3 | Capt. Frank Chapek says they will be in readiness to begin fishing about the first of the month. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1884-03-27 | 3 | Discharged merchandise for merchants here and vicinity. She also discharged freight at Kewaunee. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1901-06-14 | 1 | Has been fishing out of Washington Harbor. Ran in to have some repairs made to her machinery. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1899-06-30 | 3 | Was taken to Sturgeon Bay and put on the boxes to have a leak stopped around her stern bearings or sleeve. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1899-07-07 | 2 | The tug J. N. Brooks towed the Chas. J. Smith to the lake Wednesday forenoon, the wind having got around to the north. She was bound for Milwaukee. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | J. N. Brooks | 1885-01-08 | 3 | The tug J. N. Brooks is engaged in fishing off this port. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | J. N. Doane | 1883-05-10 | 3 | Effort made to release - built at Little Sturgeon | |
| Door County Advocate | Steambarge | J. N. Nessen | 1904-01-09 | 1 | Rebuilt last winter - info on season | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | J. N. Nessen | 1919-12-26 | 10 | Foundered near Meford, Canada and raised |
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.