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 | Mill | Clay Banks | 1875-05-27 | 8 | Will start up on Monday. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1874-08-13 | 8 | The Casco pier is 1830 feet in length, and the Clay Banks pier stretches out 1,780 feet. These two piers are the longest on the west shore. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1887-07-21 | 2 | Advertisement for Swaty a& Fellows at Clay Banks and Foscoro. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1883-03-01 | 3 | Clay Banks. A large number of piles for the old and new pier are banked on the lake shore. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1883-04-12 | 3 | About 600 feet of Swaty & Fellows' pier at Foscoro was carried away by the drifting ice. They lost about 100' of their pier at Clay Banks. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1881-09-15 | 3 | F. Swaty & Son, of this city, and C. L. Fellows, of Foscoro, recently purchased the Clay Banks pier property of William Brown, of Chicago. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1882-03-02 | 3 | From Clay Banks. The work on the new pier is progressing lively. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1882-03-02 | 3 | From Clay Banks. J. A. Fellner is doing a smashing business getting out spiles for the Clay Banks' piers. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Pier | Clay Banks | 1882-03-09 | 3 | From Clay Banks. General repair work on the Clay Bank's pier will be commenced within a few days if the weather permits. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Mill | Clay Banks | 1875-04-15 | 8 | Recently destroyed by fire. Is in process of re construction. |
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.