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 | 1874-01-22 | 4 | Owned in this city - 100.21 tons | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1874-12-10 | 4 | -high and dry+ on beach - to be left until spring | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1875-05-13 | 3 | Being repaired from being on beach last winter | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1877-05-31 | 3 | Arrived May 22nd, Chicago, light. Cleared May 22nd, Chicago 2,200 R. R. ties | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1880-02-26 | 3 | Loaded with ice and fitting out, preparatory to sailing for Chicago | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Sea Gem | 1880-03-18 | 3 | Left this week and last for southern ports with ice | ||
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1880-05-27 | 3 | Jonah Richards of this city has sold schooner to Charlevoix parties for $2,200 | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1881-09-29 | 3 | In Jonah Richards obituary. Purchased 1/4 interest in schooner | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1 | Part of maritime history in Manitowoc by Timothy Kelly Sr. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Sea Gem | 1897-06-19 | 1 | Half interest sold for $800 |
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.