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 | 1888-01-05 | 3 | Eighth street bridge was swung 2083 times during 1887 | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1888-05-03 | 3 | Sounding found an area with only 11 1/2 ft. of water. Deposit to be removed. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1888-07-05 | 3 | Dredge has begun work on the shoal in the channel in the harbor | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1889-03-21 | 1 | Article and 2 pictures of harbor view below 8th st. bridge and between the bridges. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1889-05-09 | 3 | Harbor will admit vessels which cannot enter any other port on this shore | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1891-04-30 | 3 | Statistics and dimensions given. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1892-05-12 | 3 | Results of soundings given | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1893-01-26 | 3 | Report and comparison of 1891 to 1892 in arrivals, departures and tonnage and harbor itself. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Shipyard | Manitowoc | 1893-03-16 | 4 | Payroll foots up to $1,500 per week | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Harbor | Manitowoc | 1893-08-03 | 3 | Report on arrivals, departures and tonnage. |
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.