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 | Steam barge | Mary Mills | 1889-03-14 | 3 | The steam barge Mary Mills, the schooners Industry and Clara, and the scow Wm. Finch are undergoing repairs. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Barge | Mary Mills | 1889-04-11 | 3 | The work of rebuilding the barge is steadily progressing and is expected to go into commission in about two weeks. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steam barge | Mary Mills | 1888-11-22 | 3 | Arrived from St. Joe Mich. With a cargo of apples and other fruit. Will probably go into winter quarters here. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Barge | Mary Mills | 1888-11-08 | 3 | In port awaiting orders. Capt. Armstrong expects a cargo of ties to Benton Harbor and return and lay up here for the winter. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Barge | Mary Mills | 1889-04-25 | 3 | The work on the barge Mary Mills and the schooner Clara is now about completed. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Barge | Mary Mills | 1889-05-09 | 3 | Negotiations between James Tuffts of Clay Banks and Henry Foeste of Sheboygan for an exchange of 1/2 int. in vessel and mill in this city | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1900-12-07 | 1 | The steambarge Mary Mills was burned at Sturgeon Bay. She was burned to the waters edge and is a total loss. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1887-07-07 | 3 | The Mary Mills has had a thorough rebuild and will go into commission in about two weeks. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1887-06-02 | 3 | The machinery of the barge G. P. Heath has been raised and will be placed in the dismantled hull of the steambarge Mary Mills. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Barge | Mary Mills | 1887-11-10 | 3 | Bound north, was in the harbor awaiting calmer weather on Tuesday. |
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.