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 | Belle | 1900-09-07 | 1 | The little schooner Belle with has been lying sunk in the river here for the past month or more was hauled out on the side of the river and will receive a partial rebuild. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Belle | 1900-09-21 | 1 | The little schooner Belle was launched this week and has been put in commission again, after receiving a thorough overhauling. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Belle | 1900-07-13 | 1 | The schooner Pearl, Elva, Brown and Belle of Sturgeon Bay arrived with lumber cargoes for local dealers. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Belle | 1887-05-12 | 3 | The schooner Belle, of Racine, arrived on Monday to load ties for Aug. Froemming. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Belle | 1881-11-03 | 3 | The sch. J. A. Travis and Belle sought shelter in our harbor Mon., and the scow South Side rode out the gale at anchor in the bay outside. | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle | 1891-08-01 | 5 | Loading lumber at Whitefish Bay | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle | 1885-10-01 | 3 | Unable to be released | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle | 1886-05-13 | 3 | Capt. son accidentally shot | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Belle | 1886-12-16 | 3 | Capt. arrested for embezzlement | |
| Door County Advocate | Belle | 1886-11-04 | 3 | Towed in by tug George Nelson |
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.