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 Tug Smith 1915-03-25 1 Pumped out - filled during winter
Door County Advocate Tug Smith 1916-04-13 1 Capt. Wm. Boyd
Door County Advocate Tug Smith 1898-11-26 1 Brought sch. W. O. Goodman and York State in from lake
Door County Advocate Steambarge Smith 1882-11-16 3 First mate seriously injured
Door County Advocate Barge Smith 1897-04-03 1 Expedition formed to raise sunken barge
Manitowoc Pilot Smith 1894-01-18 3 Leatham & Smith have begun suit against Orr for loss of Smith in collision.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Smith 1910-09-16 1 Lost her scow and cargo off Little Point Sauble. The scow was valued at $8,000 and the cargo at $1,500.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Smith 1908-09-25 1 The tug Smith with the stone barge Pewaukee in tow experienced considerable trouble last Saturday making the local harbor piers during the heavy fog here that evening.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Barge Smith 1887-09-01 3 Arrived at Sturgeon Bay last Sunday in tow of the barge Smith from the dry dock at Manitowoc where she was overhauled.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Barge Smith 1887-10-06 3 Report inaccurate that the tows, barge Emerald and barge Mayflower, consort of barge Smith had gone down.

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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.

© 2026 - Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Historical Society