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 | Lightship | No. 60 | 1925-12-04 | 8 | To be wintered in Sturgeon Bay- condemned | |
| Door County Advocate | Lightship | No. 60 | 1903-12-12 | 1 | Left station for winter quarters | |
| Door County Advocate | Freighter | No. 61 | 1917-10-11 | 1 | Info given on materials used in her | |
| Door County Advocate | Freighter | No. 61 | 1917-07-19 | 1 | Being built - info given | |
| Door County Advocate | Freighter | No. 61 | 1917-08-16 | 1 | More info on building material | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Dredge | No. 7 | 1892-05-05 | 3 | The tug Leathem D. Smith with the O. B. Green dredge No. 7 in tow are here. They are bound for Cedar River, Michigan. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | No. 7 | 1916-07-21 | 2 | Scow No. 7 has been provided with a cabin 18' x 68', with sleeping quarters and living rooms for a crew of 24 men. It was brought in by the Steamer Manitowoc and will be used to house a crew of men surveying the Fox River. | |
| Door County Advocate | Lightship | No. 82 | 1914-08-13 | 1 | Unable to be raised | |
| Door County Advocate | Light vessel | No. 95 | 1923-02-23 | 10 | Had to leave station due to severe ice condition | |
| Door County Advocate | Lightship | No. 95 | 1910-11-03 | 1 | New style for lights |
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.