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 | Lighthouse tender | Sumac | 1934-12-14 | 12 | Captain retires | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Sumac | 1913-07-18 | 1 | Was in port and delivered oil and supplies for the light station. Lighthouse inspector inspected the lights and fog signal apparatus. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Lightship | Sumac | 1909-11-19 | 1 | Steamer Louis Pahlow was disabled off Sturgeon Bay. She was towing the barge Delta. Lightship Sumac went to the rescue of 4 men left on the Pahlow. | |
| Door County Advocate | Lighthouse tender | Sumac | 1924-08-01 | 6 | In port | |
| Door County Advocate | Lighthouse tender | Sumac | 1937-04-30 | 6 | Placing buoys and other guides to navigation | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Lighthouse tender | Sumac | 1913-07-18 | 1 | Nine men of the dredge Marion were rescued from death during the sudden squall on the lake through the courage and skill of the crew of the United States Lighthouse Tender Sumac. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Lighthouse tender | Sumac | 1910-06-10 | 3 | The government light house tender Sumac was in port Wednesday with supplies for the light house. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Sumas | 1 | One of winter fleet in this city | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sumatra | 1896-06-25 | 3 | Departed, West Superior, light. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Sumatra | 1897-01-02 | 1 | Lost on the Lakes During 1896 - foundered |
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.