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 | Belle Brown | 1878-10-31 | 8 | A sailor familiarly known as "Gus" on the Belle Brown was drowned off Two Rivers. | |
| Door County Advocate | Sail vessel | Belle Brown | 1898-02-05 | 1 | One of fleet moored in Chicago | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Brown | 1883-04-26 | 3 | Sturgeon Bay to Chicago with posts | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Brown | 1897-09-11 | 1 | Master lost overboard | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Brown | 1909-12-02 | 1 | Lost deck load during storm | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Belle Brown | 1882-04-27 | 3 | Mate lost overboard off Kewaunee during storm last Saturday | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Belle Brown | 1879-04-24 | 8 | Arrived April 21, Chicago. Departed April 21, Chicago, 7,000 ties for S. Perry and A. Froemming. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Brown | 1900-03-31 | 1 | Receiving large repairs in Chicago | |
| Door County Advocate | Belle Brown | 1884-04-24 | 3 | Loaded + cleared from Jacksonport | ||
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Brown | 1883-04-19 | 3 | First sail departure from Chicago |
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.