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 | Schooner | Bell | 1901-04-26 | 1 | The little schooner Bell has been fitted out and clears for Menominee for lumber to-day. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Bell | 1908-05-15 | 8 | William Braunsdorf and family will return with his father home on the schooner Bell. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Bell | 1901-05-24 | 1 | The schooners Cora, Pearl, Bell and Wilson were all in port the first of the week with lumber and lath. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Hooker | Bell | 1908-09-18 | 1 | The little hooker Bell was in port several days last week with a cargo of fruit from the Michigan markets. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Bell | 1907-12-06 | 1 | Mary L. owned by Chris. Braunsdorf, was beached about six miles north of this port last Wednesday. The Mary L. and the Bell left Beaver Island the same time and separated. The Bell ran into the canal for shelter. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Bell Brown | 1897-01-30 | 1 | Chicago winter moorings of lumber fleet | ||
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Bell Culbert | 1905-11-25 | 1 | Held up for 3 wks. with weather | |
| Door County Advocate | Propeller | Bell P. Cross | 1896-04-11 | 5 | Contemplates conversion into a wrecker | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Bella | 1 | Capt. is Humphrey. Part of history given by Timothy Kelly Sr. | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Belle | 2 | Collided with steamer Gray Eagle 5 mi. above Alton, Ill. on the Mississippi |
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.