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 | Liner | Iowa | 1913-01-23 | 1 | On 1st trip after dry docking she was leaking | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Iowa | 1912-01-18 | 1 | Rescued by Georgia after becoming fast in ice off Grosse point | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Iowa | 1913-07-24 | 1 | Sinking | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Iowa | 1910-01-21 | 1 | The Goodrich steamer Iowa was in port several hours on Sunday loading freight bound south. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Iowa | 1910-04-29 | 1 | Went ashore south of Racine during the storm. She was released with not much damage. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Iowa | 1910-06-03 | 1 | Captain William Plumber of the steamer Iowa resigns. Iowa now commanded by Capt. Franklin of the Sheboygan, First mate Cook of the Georgia was given the Chicago, and Capt. Carrington given the Sheboygan. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Iowa | 1912-01-19 | 1 | Steamer Indiana was icebound several miles out of Chicago harbor for three days. She is safe in port in Chicago. Steamers Iowa and Georgia, which went to aid the Indiana had also become ice bound. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Iowa | 1912-05-17 | 7 | One of the vessels mentioned in a big article written by an old steamboat man of forty odd years and given in the Chicago Magazine. This is a continuation of previous articles. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Iowa | 1910-09-23 | 1 | Since the summer schedule was discontinued, the Iowa has been placed upon this run and scheduled to reach this port every Sunday night. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Iowa | 1901-11-15 | 1 | The steamer Iowa had to go by due to the big sea on the lake and the waves swept in between the harbor piers. |
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.