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 | St. Lawrence | 1877-10-18 | 8 | Arrived at Ahnapee Oct. 14 from Racine. Cleared Oct. 17 for Racine with 70 cords of wood for Decker & Co. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | St. Lawrence | 1877-10-11 | 8 | Arrived at Ahnapee Oct. 5 from Racine. Cleared Oct. 9 for Racine with 80 cds of wood for E. Decker & Co. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | St. Lawrence | 1877-09-27 | 8 | Arrived at Ahnapee Sept. 23 from Chicago with 75 bbls. Of salt for E. Decker & Co. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | St. Lawrence | 1877-05-03 | 8 | Anxiety about it being out in the gale. Informed that it has arrived safely in Chicago. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | St. Lawrence | 1877-05-03 | 8 | Arrived at Ahnapee May 4 from Chicago: Cleared May 5th for Chicago with 106,000 ft. lumber for Butkol Bros. and 70 bags of potatoes for Fax Bros. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | St. Lawrence | 1877-05-31 | 8 | Arrived at Ahnapee May 28 from Chicago. Cleared 29th for Chicago with 2,000 post and 45 cds. of bark for Fax Bros. | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | St. Lawrence | 1866-11-02 | 1 | Has not been heard from, feared lost | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Bark | St. Lawrence | 1872-05-16 | 3 | Came through the ice at Buffalo | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | St. Lawrence | 1878-05-02 | 3 | Burned off Milwaukee. Owned by Capt. Matthew Larkins who was lost | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | St. Lawrence | 1888-05-24 | 3 | Into dry dock for repairs |
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.