Newspaper Search

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 Tug Betsey 1877-08-30 8 Took a group of people on an excursion.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1877-04-12 8 Hauled out and receiving a thorough repairing.
Door County Advocate Tug Betsey 1884-05-29 3 To have apparatus to hoist railroad ties
Door County Advocate Tug Betsey 1883-05-31 3 Passed through
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1873-09-04 3 Engineer examining paddle wheel when it started. Lucky to be alive.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Betsey 1875-10-07 8 Arrives at this port daily from Forestville. She is doing a thriving business.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Betsey 1876-09-21 8 The Betsey is daily bringing large tows of forest produce down the river from Forestville.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Betsey 1876-04-20 8 Betsey, of the Ahnapee and Forestville line, made her first trip to the latter place, this season, on Monday.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Betsey 1876-11-23 8 Has been laid up. She also will be hauled out for repairs during the coming winter.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Betsey 1876-11-09 8 Was placed at the disposal of the "Wide-Awake" for a trip to Forestville to attend the Hayes and Wheeler meeting.

Page 616 of 6219

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.

© 2026 - Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Historical Society