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
Manitowoc Pilot Carferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1 Ran into ice two miles from Manitowoc and couldn+t budge for 18 hours.
Manitowoc Pilot Carferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1 In dry dock when member of crew fell 25+ into hold. Will recover.
Manitowoc Pilot Carferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1 Deckhand drowned when he attempted to jump from carferry to dock and missed.
Manitowoc Pilot Ferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1 Hits 10th street bridge house on north side.
Door County Advocate Carferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1924-03-07 1 Open navigation on Green bay
Door County Advocate Ann Arbor No. 4 1936-02-28 5 Picture of it sunk at mouth of harbor in Frankfort< Mich. due to ice coating
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Car ferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1910-12-23 1 The tug John Hunsader released the carferry Ann Arbor No. 4, stuck in the ice in Green Bay for about 24 hours.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Car ferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1911-01-06 1 Ann Arbor No. 4 went ashore on Plum Island. The No. 3 assisted in releasing the No. 4.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Car ferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1911-10-20 1 Ashore at Rock Island for five hours last Saturday. Ann Arbor No. 2 and 5 went to her assistance.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Carferry Ann Arbor No. 4 1912-03-01 1 From Manitowoc. She went ashore a short distance north of the power house. After two hours it succeeded in releasing itself.

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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.

© 2025 - Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Historical Society