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 | Harbor | Sturgeon Bay | 1882-05-04 | 3 | Information on light at the entrance to the Sturgeon Bay canal. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Life saving station | Sturgeon Bay | 1885-10-15 | 3 | Contract for building the life saving station was awarded to Maxted & Newcombe, of Manistee. Cost is $4,560. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Canal | Sturgeon Bay | 1910-05-13 | 1 | Soundings completed. The maximum draft that can b e carried at the present stage of water is about 18 feet. | |
| Door County Advocate | Quarry | Sturgeon Bay | 1919-05-16 | 12 | Idle 1st time in 15 yrs. | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Sturgeon Bay | 1918-05-16 | 1 | Having finishing touches put on | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Sturgeon Bay | 1918-05-02 | 1 | Pictures and article of launching | |
| Door County Advocate | Light Station | Sturgeon Bay | 1899-03-18 | 1 | New light to be installed in tower | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Drydock | Sturgeon Bay | 1896-06-11 | 3 | The drydock company had its plant transferred to Sturgeon Bay from Sheboygan last Friday. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Life savers | Sturgeon Bay | 1894-03-29 | 3 | The life saving crew at the Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan Ship canal have been ordered to report to that station for duty on April 1. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Canal | Sturgeon Bay | 1895-05-30 | 3 | Work on the new revetment at the canal will be commenced about June 1. |
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.