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 | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1870-03-17 | 3 | Hailing from Manitowoc, commanded by B. Schade | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1870-03-31 | 3 | Have canvas on and will soon be ready to clear for Chicago and Milwaukee | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1872-03-28 | 4 | Arrived this past week | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1872-08-29 | 3 | Hit pier and knocked a hole in her starboard bow | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1873-05-22 | 4 | Arrived May 15, G. Haven, 900bbl plaster. Departed May 15, Kewaunee, light. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1874-04-23 | 4 | Ran her main mast against jib-boom of J. I. Case and broke it off | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1875-05-06 | 3 | Run ashore at Ahnapee last fall - severly injured, brought in for repair | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1876-02-24 | 3 | Chartered to carry ice from this port to Chicago | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1878-06-27 | 3 | A new cabin is being built for schooner | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Sea Gem | 1880-03-11 | 3 | Returned to this port, having left with cargo of ice |
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.