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 | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1903-09-11 | 1 | Went ashore at Clay Banks. The tug Sydney Smith put a line on the vessel and started for Sturgeon Bay but she was cast adrift and went ashore just north of Clay Banks. | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1905-05-06 | 1 | Recently purchased | |
| Door County Advocate | Sydney Smith | 1903-06-13 | 1 | Damaged at Muskegon | ||
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1903-08-01 | 1 | Capt. reported how scow was lost | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1903-12-12 | 1 | Brought in barge Dan Hayes - placed in winter quarters | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1896-09-12 | 5 | Met schooner Elva in collision | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1900-04-13 | 8 | Tug Sydney Smith in with the Algomah in tow. They were on their way to Manitowoc, where the Algomah will be placed in dry dock for repairs. | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1905-04-22 | 1 | Being fitted out | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1904-07-09 | 1 | To have a steam-steering outfit | |
| Door County Advocate | Tug | Sydney Smith | 1896-11-21 | 5 | Has steam chimes whistle from Australasia |
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.