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 | Tug | Nelson | 1898-01-22 | 1 | Repairs given | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Nelson | 1900-10-06 | 1 | Biggest tow of season - 6 schooners | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Nelson | 1899-07-22 | 1 | Back into commission | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Nelson | 1899-05-20 | 1 | Foundered on L. Superior -towed by A. Folsom | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Nelson | 1899-05-27 | 1 | Captain in physical + mental problems | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Nelson | 1899-07-15 | 1 | Out of the floating dock | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Nelson | 1897-02-06 | 1 | Reconstruction to begin soon | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Nelson | 1897-04-17 | 1 | To receive extensive repairs to boiler | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Nelson | 1905-09-16 | 1 | Rough trip | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Nelson | 1892-05-21 | 5 | Towing Alice when Alice collided with propeller Moore |
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.