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 | Barge | Champion | 1905-02-04 | 1 | Claim settled in its sinking - $5750 | |
| Door County Advocate | Propeller | Champlain | 1887-12-17 | 3 | Marine disaster report on it for 1886 | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | Champlain | 1878-05-16 | 3 | Is the first boat to pass through Welland canal this season | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Champlain | 1882-03-23 | 3 | Captain Seymour to take charge of steamer | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | Champlain | 1883-01-18 | 3 | Sailor died from injury last year on vessel | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | Champlain | 1883-12-20 | 3 | Steamed up the river through a couple inches of ice. To be overhauled here | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Champlain | 1884-03-06 | 3 | Is receiving a thorough rebuild at the dry dock | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Champlain | 1887-07-21 | 3 | The hull will be towed to Milwaukee and rebuilt | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Propeller | Champlain | 1887-10-27 | 3 | Which was burned this fall has been rebuilt at Milwaukee and was launched this week | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Champlain | 1909-12-23 | 1 | Being built for the Northern Lakes Steamship Co. |
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.