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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Cleveland | 1864-11-18 | 1 | Driven ashore 20 mi. above Whitefish Point | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | Cleveland | 1899-09-28 | 5 | Sank at the harbor entrance at Chicago on Sunday night. Whe will be a total loss. | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Cleveland | 1895-02-16 | 5 | Reminiscence - close call | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Cleveland | 1873-08-07 | 3 | The first steamboat which ever put in an appearance at this port, was the old steamer Cleveland of Manitowoc. It arrived Aug. 8th 1856. | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Cleveland | 1902-06-07 | 1 | Towed to Graef & Nebel quarry + sunk for crib purpose | |
| Door County Advocate | Barque | Cleveland | 1915-10-07 | 2 | 50 yr. ago driven on reef | |
| Door County Advocate | Bark | Cleveland | 1875-06-24 | 3 | Ashore at Pilot Island - stripped and abandoned | |
| Door County Advocate | Barque | Cleveland | 1865-10-05 | 3 | Driven on reef off Strawberry Island | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Cleveland | 1900-07-14 | 1 | Sunk to bottom of Chicago river | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Cleveland | 1899-09-30 | 1 | Purchased, sprung a leak + filled with water |
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.