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 | Aurora | 1890-04-10 | 3 | Passed through the straits this week, the first boat of the year to make the passage. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Barge | Aurora | 1 | One of winter fleet at Manitowoc. Gross tonnage 2237. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Aurora | 1898-01-08 | 1 | One of Milwaukee winter fleet | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Aurora | 1890-04-12 | 5 | First arrival at Milwaukee from below | |
| Door County Advocate | Consort | Aurora | 1916-08-17 | 1 | Arrived in Chicago | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Aurora | 1902-05-03 | 1 | Ashore 20 mi. from Duluth | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Aurora | 1 | Loaded with oats at this port | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Aurora | 5 | Unloaded a cargo of hard coal at the Reiss coal dock on Tuesday | ||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Aurora | 1898-02-05 | 1 | One of fleet moored in Chicago | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Aurora | 1916-05-18 | 1 | Tow post torn out of Marion while towing Aurora |
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.