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 | South Side | 1877-09-06 | 8 | Arrived at Ahnapee Aug 31 wind bound. Cleared 31st for Chicago. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | South Side | 1883-06-07 | 3 | Sprung a leak - arrived in Milwaukee | |
| Door County Advocate | South Side | 1886-09-30 | 2 | Took cargoes from Bailey s Harbor | ||
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | South Side | 1887-09-17 | 3 | Windbound in canal | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | South Side | 1882-05-04 | 3 | Kewaunee. Arrived and cleared during the week. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | South Side | 1881-11-03 | 3 | The sch. J. A. Travis and Belle sought shelter in our harbor Mon., and the scow South Side rode out the gale at anchor in the bay outside. | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | South Side | 1894-02-17 | 5 | Broke in two + main mast gone | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | South Side | 1880-05-06 | 3 | The scow South Side loaded at Foscoro this week with 6,500 ties for F. Swaty & Son, and cleared on Tuesday. | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | South Side | 1886-05-20 | 2 | Loading at Ephraim | |
| Door County Advocate | South Side | 1886-10-07 | 2 | Freighting lumber for Andrew Nelson from Garrett Bay |
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.