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 | 1877-09-27 | 8 | Is kept very busy of late towing cargoes of wood, ties and posts down the river. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Betsey | 1877-04-19 | 8 | Commences operations last Tues. Captain George Warner walks the quarter deck, with Jud. Lathrop as second in command. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Betsey | 1877-05-03 | 8 | Henry Stransky was accidentally knocked into the river from the tug. He now carries a black eye. | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Betsey | 1881-11-17 | 3 | In port at Ahnapee | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Betsey | 1873-09-04 | 3 | Engineer examining paddle wheel when it started. Lucky to be alive. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Betsey | 1875-11-18 | 8 | River tug made her last trip on Tuesday. She will go on the dry dock where she will receive a thorough overhauling both in hull and machinery. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Betsey | 1876-04-13 | 8 | Being thoroughly overhauled. | |
| 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 | Tug | Betsey | 1876-11-09 | 8 | Will go into winter quarters this week, after a successful summer's operation. | |
| 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. |
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.