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 Steamer Chicago 1877-11-29 8 Arrived at Ahnapee Nov. 24 from Chicago. Cleared Nov. 24 for Chicago.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1877-11-29 8 Landed an unusually large amount of freight for our merchants last Saturday.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1877-08-30 8 Arrived at Ahnapee Aug 25 from Chicago. Cleared 25th for Chicago.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1877-08-23 4 William Johns, a passenger on the steamer was robbed at Port Washington of $220 by a porter boy named Nick Walter. The thief was arrested and the money recovered.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1877-09-20 8 Arrived at Ahnapee Sept. 15 from Chicago. Cleared 15th for Chicago
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1877-09-20 8 Captain Sweeney knows how to manage his boat even in foggy and rough weather in order to keep his schedule.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1877-10-04 8 Arrived at Ahnapee Sept. 29 from Chicago. Cleared Sept. 29 for Chicago.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1880-02-26 4 Capt. Sweeney, for years commander of the steamer Chicago, has resigned his position and will retire to private life.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1879-10-30 4 A deck hand with a truck loaded with four bags of peas fell into the lake when the slide gave way.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Chicago 1879-10-09 4 The steamer Chicago landed an unusual large amount of freight at this port last Saturday.

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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.

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