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 | Scow | Little Jonnie | 1881-10-20 | 3 | During the storm, failing to make the harbor, she came to anchor off the north point. She drifted upon the rocks and went to pieces. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Little Manitowoc | 1 | Government gives consent for protection pier | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Little Manitowoc | 1 | Breakwater to be built to protect road. | |||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Little May | 1875-04-29 | 3 | Cleared Apr. 27th, Washington Island. Sundries - arr. Apr. 27th Wash. Is. Sundries | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Barge | Little May | 1886-11-18 | 3 | Tug Justice Field and barges Emerald, Bissel, Little May and Florence M. Dickenson caught in storm. The Dickenson and Emerald wrecked. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Lighthouse | Little Point Souble | 1873-06-26 | 4 | 25 men at work on it | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Little Ross | 1888-07-21 | 3 | Blew out her cylinder head | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Little Sturgeon | 1883-04-26 | 3 | Albert B. Stevenson has sold his place, including pier, to Joachim Vetter, of Manitowoc, for $2,200. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Shipyard | Little Sturgeon | 1874-03-12 | 3 | The large new vessel on the stocks at Little Sturgeon will be ready to launch as soon as the ice breaks up. | |
| Door County Advocate | Season shipping record | Little Sturgeon | 1869-12-30 | 4 | 1869 |
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.