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 | Steamer | May Queen | 1864-06-24 | 1 | Put on route from Chicago to Manitowoc and Two Rivers | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | May Queen | 1864-08-26 | 1 | Chartered to take passengers from Manitowoc and Sheboygan to Chicago | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | May Queen | 1865-06-09 | 1 | Taken her place on the Sheboygan and Manitowoc route | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | May Queen | 1865-09-29 | 1 | Sunk at pier in Sheboygan in 12 ft. of water | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | May Queen | 1866-06-15 | 1 | Raised - to be made into a scow if hull will allow | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | May Queen | 1867-07-19 | 1 | Shafts raised from vessel | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | May Queen | 1867-09-20 | 1 | Burnt hulk sold - to be transformed into a lumber barge | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | May Queen | 1868-12-31 | 4 | Marine disasters 1868 - broke a portion of her machinery on Green Bay | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | May Queen | 1879-05-08 | 3 | Sold for $600 | |
| Door County Advocate | May Queen | 1877-09-27 | 3 | Queen City, not May Queen found |
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.