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 | Scow | Lady Ellen | 1875-11-18 | 8 | Capt. John McDonald, arrived with a cargo of lumber from Foscoro. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Lady Ellen | 1875-12-09 | 8 | After being stripped and laid up, was again fitted out for business by Capt. John McDonald. Is in the harbor awaiting, we know not what. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Lady Ellen | 1880-04-08 | 4 | The scow Lady Ellen is in port taking on a load of piles for the Whitefish Bay pier. She will probably clear this evening. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Lady Ellen | 1880-04-15 | 4 | Taken out loads from this port. Scow Lady Ellen, to-day, piles, for the Whitefish Bay pier. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Lady Ellen | 1880-04-22 | 3 | She departed for Whitefish Bay with part of a load of piles. She will return with a load of lumber form Jacksonport for Sam Perry. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Lady Ellen | 1880-05-06 | 3 | Another load of lumber was taken to Two Rivers by the scow Lady Ellen this morning. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Lady Ellen | 1877-01-04 | 8 | Captain John McDonald had to leave the Lady Ellen in Chicago for the winter. He couldn't get it back here. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Lady Ellen | 1876-12-21 | 8 | The Inter-Ocean notes that she has gone into winter quarters at Chicago. This is a mistake. She will return to this port as soon as her cargo is disposed of. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Scow | Lady Ellen | 1876-12-07 | 8 | On Sat. Capt. John McDonald, cleared this port for Chicago with a cargo of fish, for Geo. McDonald, and Christmas trees on owner's account. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Lady Ellen | 1876-05-18 | 8 | Capt. John McDonald, is delivering stone for building purposes on the docks at this place. |
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.