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 Laurie | 1877-09-13 | 8 | Arrived at Ahnapee Sept. 9 from Milwaukee. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1883-05-03 | 3 | 1/2 for $500 | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1892-01-23 | 5 | Wrecked at Baileys Harbor - doubtful in being repaired | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1892-06-25 | 5 | Pulled off beach - leaking rapidly | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1892-05-14 | 5 | Purchased - to be put in coast wise trade | |
| Door County Advocate | Belle Laurie | 1891-01-10 | 5 | 61 X 16 | ||
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1891-04-18 | 5 | First arrival at Baileys Harbor | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1889-07-20 | 3 | Seized by U. S. marshal for claims | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1881-04-28 | 3 | Departed the past week. Milwaukee, 2000 posts for F. Swaty & Son. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Belle Laurie | 1880-04-22 | 3 | Sailor had left the vessel to throw off a line and before he could reach her again she had left the dock and him in the rear. |
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.