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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Bay State | 1916-12-08 | 1 | One of vessels which wrecked on reef off Stoney Creek. The steamer Bay State was wrecked a couple of miles north of Stoney Creek about 1885. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Bay State | 1882-08-03 | 3 | Loaded with ice - passed through | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Bay State | 1897-02-06 | 1 | Repairs to make it ready for stone trade | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Bay State | 1897-08-07 | 1 | Came within an ace of going to the bottom | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Bay State | 1899-03-18 | 1 | Sent to unload Annie Dall + had problems | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Bay State | 1900-11-24 | 1 | Placed in ordinary | |
| Door County Advocate | Barge | Bay State | 1900-04-28 | 1 | Purchased from Leathem + Smith | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Bay State | 1903-05-02 | 1 | Hulk to be used as cribs for the dock for Thos. Smith at mouth of bay | |
| Door County Advocate | Bay State | 1923-11-09 | 10 | Arrived - some info on her | ||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Bay State | 1924-08-08 | 4 | Ran on bottom twice and got away under own power |
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.