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 | Yacht | Julius | 1879-06-26 | 2 | From S. B. Elegant steam yacht has conveyed an excursion and picnic to Sawyer's Harbor and returned last Sunday. | |
| Door County Advocate | Steam-yacht | Julius | 1881-05-12 | 3 | Receiving overhauling and renovation for excursion business | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Shipyard | Julius Johnson | 1873-06-19 | 4 | Launched new vessel L. I. Conway | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Jumbo | 1893-10-14 | 5 | Stormbound | |
| Door County Advocate | Hooker | Jumbo | 1898-02-12 | 1 | Sold by sheriff | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Jumbo | 1896-10-24 | 5 | Drifted ashore | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Juniata | 1916-09-07 | 1 | To be remodeled this winter | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Juniata Patton | 1901-08-17 | 1 | Commanded by Capt. Watson Spencer in Dec. 1850 when she was lost | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Juniata Patton | 1860-04-27 | 3 | Collided with Sebastopal between Sheboygan and Milwaukee | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Junior | 1911-11-30 | 1 | Stocking city and South Chicago with sand |
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.