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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Michigan | 1906-09-06 | 1 | Trio still searching for lost steamer | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Michigan | 1887-08-18 | 3 | The steambarge S. C. Hall was released from the reef at Baileys Harbor by the tugs Spalding and Swan. They also freed the Michigan. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Michigan | 1887-08-25 | 3 | The steambarge Hall in dry dock in Milwaukee, taking the place of the Michigan which had little damage. Flint also surveyed. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Michigan | 1885-04-02 | 3 | The loss of the Michigan has caused apprehensions for the safety of her sister ship, the propeller Wisconsin. She has seven dents in her. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Propeller | Michigan | 1885-02-26 | 3 | All propellers in the ice have been heard from and are safe. The locations of the Michigan and Ludington are given. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Michigan | 1878-08-29 | 8 | When about 60 miles from Chicago the Annie Laura broke her iron rudder. The tug J. H. Hackley towed it into Chicago. Stopped for a short time but didn't assist it. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | Michigan | 1883-04-05 | 3 | Captain Goodrich wants to dispose of it | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | Michigan | 1883-05-10 | 3 | Goodrich propeller sold for $165,000 | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | Michigan | 1885-02-19 | 3 | Has not been heard from in ten days. She is probably fast in a large ice field in the center of the lake | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Michigan | 1885-02-26 | 3 | Has finally been released from the ice |
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.