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 | Schooner | John M. Hutchinson | 1892-11-10 | 3 | Arrived, light; Departed, Cleveland | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | John M. Hutchinson | 1894-09-27 | 3 | Arrived, Toledo, coal; Departed Buffalo, light. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | John M. Hutchinson | 1905-08-26 | 1 | In tow - sprung a leak and went to bottom | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Barge | John M. Hutchinson | 1893-05-11 | 3 | The ice in Chequamegon Bay has broken up and the barge has reached Ashland with coal. | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John M. Nichol | 1906-12-20 | 1 | Stranded on Big Summer Island - split in two | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John M. Nicol | 1907-01-03 | 1 | Wrecked on Big Summer island - attempt to recover cargo | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | John M. Truby | 1913-05-22 | 1 | Its lifeboat found on lake | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | John M. Truby | 1910-10-27 | 1 | New - arrived from Cleveland, O. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | John M. Wright | 1891-04-16 | 3 | Of Ahnapee, is taking on a deck load of post for H. Gericke, for Racine. She has a hold cargo of potatoes on account of owner. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | John Magee | 1898-05-07 | 1 | $750 verdict for services from leak |
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.