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 | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1887-11-03 | 3 | Info on problems of not having a deep harbor | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1888-01-05 | 3 | Main street bridge was swung during the year 1887, 1520 times | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1888-02-16 | 3 | Information for contract to dredge river | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1888-05-31 | 3 | Information on dredging | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Shipyard | Manitowoc | 1889-02-14 | 3 | Tamarack now used in shipbuilding and bring $10 per thousand. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1889-04-18 | 3 | Information on harbor | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1889-05-30 | 3 | Vessels drawing 14+ of water have no difficulty in reaching the coal docks at this place | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1892-01-07 | 3 | Arrival and departures including tonnage for year 1891. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Scow | Manitowoc | 1892-07-21 | 3 | Arrived with tug Pankratz. Cleared with tug Pankratz | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Shipyard | Manitowoc | 1893-02-09 | 3 | Employing 140 men. Dry dock lengthened to 338 ft. |
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.