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 | Schooner | Wm. Finch | 1896-04-11 | 5 | Being fitted out | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Wm. Finch | 1895-08-01 | 3 | The schooner Wm. Finch arrived here from the south last Thursday, with a back freight consisting of merchandise. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Wm. Finch | 1895-05-16 | 3 | The scow Wm. Finch cleared last Saturday for Racine, after having been held here for a week by adverse winds. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Wm. Finch | 1895-05-23 | 3 | The schooner Wm. Finch arrived Tuesday from Racine and Milwaukee, with a cargo of back freight for local Merchants. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Wm. Finch | 1895-04-18 | 3 | Is loaded with material for cheese boxes, for Paul Gablowsky & Co., for Manitowoc. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Wm. Finch | 1895-05-09 | 3 | The schooner Wm. Finch cleared on Monday, with a cargo, composed of wood, spars and shingles, for Racine. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Wm. Finch | 1894-12-13 | 3 | The schooners Industry and Wm. Finch have been put in winter quarters here. Owners of each given. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Wm. Finch | 1895-09-19 | 3 | Arrived from the south with a large amount of back freight, consisting of coal and merchandise. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Wm. Finch | 1896-04-16 | 3 | Her color. Instead of lead color, she will be red below the bulwarks, and white will be her color above the red. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Wm. Finch | 1896-05-14 | 3 | The Wm. Finch loaded with baled hay here, for the W. Seyk Co., for across the lake. The Finch will bring back a cargo of salt for merchants here. |
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.