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 | Northwest | 1868-05-29 | 1 | Serious flaw found in one of the shafts | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Northwest | 1869-04-23 | 1 | Part of article of history of Goodrich line | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Northwest | 1873-06-19 | 4 | Captain finds way into Cleveland in fog by smell of the river | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Side wheel steamer | Northwest | 1881-06-30 | 3 | Tonnage 1109, built at Manitowoc in 1866 by G. S. Rand | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Northwest | 1894-01-11 | 3 | Launched at Cleveland last week. Information on it. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Northwest | 1894-08-30 | 3 | Ran aground near Bar Point Light in Lake Erie | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Northwest | 1877-11-15 | 8 | Information on new boat being built to replace the Northwest. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Northwest | 1878-04-04 | 8 | The new steamer built in Green Bay to take the place of the burned steamer Northwest was launched on the 25th, so says the Advocate. | |
| Door County Advocate | Sail vessel | Northwest | 1898-02-05 | 1 | One of fleet moored in Chicago | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Northwest | 1899-01-07 | 1 | Out of existence with tonnage and est. value |
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.