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 | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1888-09-27 | 3 | Arrived from the south light. To Leathamport where she will take on a cargo of lumber for Chicago. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1900-12-07 | 1 | The steambarge Mary Mills, that was burned at Sturgeon Bay last week was valued at $7,000 and carried a fire insurance of $4,500. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1900-11-30 | 1 | In with a large consignment of freight for local merchants. | |
| 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 | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1887-08-11 | 3 | The steambarge Mary Mills, which was fitted out with the machinery of the burned barge G. P. Heath, has gone into commission. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1885-12-17 | 3 | Was placed in the dry dock on Saturday to allow her wheel and shaft to be removed. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steambarge | Mary Mills | 1887-05-26 | 3 | Dismantled hull purchased by Sheboygan parties. Machinery of G. P. Heath to be put in it | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Mary Mills | 1894-03-22 | 3 | Is receiving a new boiler. |
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.