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 | Sail vessel | Lydia E. Raesser | 1911-03-31 | 1 | One of the survivors of sail vessels. Info on the past. Formerly the Gipsy | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1907-10-11 | 1 | Oldest schooner on the great lakes, was purchased by S. H. Newman of this city. Will put her in the coast wise trade this fall and use her to freight logs and bolts for his sawmill next season. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1910-05-06 | 6 | The schooner Lydia E. Raesser which had been in this port several days, cleared for Sturgeon Bay last Saturday. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1898-02-26 | 1 | Receiving general repairs at Sheboygan | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1913-07-03 | 1 | Oldest boat on lakes - 66 yrs. old | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1892-03-19 | 5 | Thieves entered cabin | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1907-10-11 | 1 | In port having on board the saw mill machinery recently purchased by S. H. Newman and 70 cords of wood. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1910-04-29 | 1 | Lost its spar while lying at dock during the storm. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Lydia E. Raesser | 1900-11-03 | 1 | Into winter quarters | |
| Door County Advocate | Lydia E. Raesser | 4 | Oldest American vessel afloat on the Great Lakes |
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.