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 | Sea Bird | 1865-05-12 | 2 | One of Goodrich+s Lake Shore line | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Sea Bird | 1865-09-22 | 1 | Towed May Queen to Chicago | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Sea Bird | 1866-03-16 | 1 | First arrival | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Sea Bird | 1866-12-07 | 1 | Still making irregular trips between this port and Milwaukee | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Sea Bird | 1866-12-21 | 1 | Stopped here on way to Escanaba for a cargo of iron | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Sea Bird | 1867-03-15 | 1 | Will make her first trip to Manitowoc and Two Rivers next week | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Sea Bird | 1867-05-17 | 1 | Towed raft of pine from Two Rivers | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Sea Bird | 1867-11-22 | 1 | Will make Manitowoc its winter quarters | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Sea Bird | 1867-12-20 | 1 | Encountered severe weather on last trip | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Sea Bird | 1868-02-28 | 1 | Mr. James A. Hodges a popular clerk transferred from Orion |
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.