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 | Schooner | Lake Forest | 1892-10-20 | 3 | Took on 75 tons of hay and 7000 bushel of oats at the L. J. Conway & Son's warehouses here, for W. D. Hitchcock, of Chicago. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Lake Forrest | 1878-11-28 | 3 | Allowed to sink in the river - seems for them -life+s fitful fever is o+er.+ | ||
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Lake Forrest | 1899-11-25 | 1 | Her mizzenboom and main gaff broken | |
| Door County Advocate | Lake Forrest | 1897-01-30 | 1 | Chicago winter moorings of lumber fleet | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Lake Forrest | 1879-04-03 | 3 | After repairs are completed on the Chicago, the Lake Forrest will receive same. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Freight | Lake freights | 1873-05-01 | 4 | Info on lake freights | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Lake Gadsden | 1 | First of the steel 4200 dead tons ship built for U. S. Emergency Fleet Corporation launched. | |||
| Door County Advocate | Freighter | Lake Gaither | 1919-11-14 | 12 | In port for compass adjustment | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Lake Galewood | 5 | Latest steamer to be completed at the local yards for U. S. government. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Lake Galien | 1920-05-07 | 6 | Built at Manitowoc for government |
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.