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 | Fish tug | Ralph Cooper | 1911-09-08 | 2 | The fish tug Ralph Cooper, Capt. Devine, returned to this port last Saturday from Sturgeon and will probably remain here during the fall and winter. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Fish tug | Ralph Cooper | 1913-02-28 | 1 | Was forced to return to port after battling with the ice off this port for several hours. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Fish tug | Ralph Cooper | 1913-03-21 | 5 | Fish tug Ralph Cooper, owned by Wondrasek and Devine, sold to Johnson and Jacobson for $2,000. Mr. Chas. Wondrasek has accepted a berth on the tug Sioux, formerly called the Jesse Spaulding. | |
| Door County Advocate | Fish steamer | Ralph Cooper | 1911-04-20 | 1 | Over from Algoma | |
| Door County Advocate | Fishing steamer | Ralph Cooper | 1912-09-12 | 1 | Compass stolen | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Ralph Cooper | 1912-03-15 | 7 | Fish tug was enabled to get out into the lake Wednesday morning, for the first time in a good many weeks. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Ralph Cooper | 1912-04-26 | 7 | Towed the government pile driver and dock building outfit from Kewaunee to Sturgeon Bay. Captain Devine, of the Ralph Cooper, has accepted position of first mate on the Manitowoc. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Fish tug | Ralph Cooper | 1913-01-31 | 5 | The owners of the fish tug Ralph Cooper have erected a square sail on her the past week. They intend to take advantage of the prevailing south west winds in their fishing operations. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Tug | Ralph Cooper | 5 | Sold to a Whitehall Mich. party for $1250. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Fishing tug | Ralph Cooper | 1912-04-18 | 1 | Quitting business because of poor catch |
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.