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 | Schooner | Spartan | 1883-07-19 | 3 | The schooners Spartan and Iris were in port Sunday, bound for Clay Banks and Foscoro, respectively, to load for Swaty & Fellows. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Spartan | 1885-09-03 | 3 | The oldest vessel afloat on Lake Michigan. She is laid up in our harbor never again to roam. She was built at Montreal in 1838. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Sparten | 1882-05-04 | 3 | Schooner Sparten, of Sheboygan, run into port here Sunday. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Sparton | 1879-03-27 | 8 | Rode out the storm at anchor in our bay last Sunday night. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Spaulding | 1889-08-29 | 3 | The yacht, owned by the Conley Bros. of Green Bay was in port in tow of the tug Spaulding. She was on her way to Milwaukee. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Tug | Spaulding | 1892-12-29 | 3 | Broke her wheel at Two Rivers last week | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Spaulding | 1890-04-12 | 5 | First tug to go into commission at this port | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Spaulding | 1887-06-23 | 3 | Steambarge W. L. Brown was located by the tugs Spaulding and J. Evenson. It lies in 65 feet of water. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Spaulding | 1891-11-05 | 3 | Steam barges Australasia and Bulgaria, in assistance, also went on. Steambarge Huron City and tug Spaulding released both. | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Spaulding | 1884-07-24 | 3 | Speed greatly improved from new wheel |
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.