Newspaper Search

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 Schooner Rising Star 1899-11-04 1 Towed into lake and sunk
Door County Advocate Rising Star 1897-01-30 1 Chicago winter moorings of lumber fleet
Door County Advocate Barge Rising Star 1899-10-28 1 Sank in river in Chicago
Door County Advocate Steamer Rising Sun 1916-09-28 1 In port
Door County Advocate Rising Sun 1917-11-22 1 Wreck - House of David motor boat to try and recover cargo
Manitowoc Pilot Steamer Rising Sun 2 Owned by House of David colony on the rocks near Glen Arbor in L. Michigan.
Door County Advocate Steamer Rising Sun 1916-10-05 1 Repaired
Door County Advocate Steamer Rising Sun 1916-10-19 3 Work explained
Door County Advocate Steamer Rising Sun 1917-10-04 1 To take care of general fruit and freight
Door County Advocate Tug Rita McDonald 1911-06-08 1 Broke her intermediate shaft

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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.

© 2025 - Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Historical Society