Newspaper Search

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
Door County Advocate Belle Laurie 1880-12-16 3 Loaded flour and feed at Kewaunee for Jacksonport
Door County Advocate Schooner Belle Laurie 1881-03-17 3 Sold
Door County Advocate Schooner Belle Laurie 1891-11-21 5 Ashore at Baileys Harbor
Door County Advocate Schooner Belle Laurie 1892-05-14 5 Purchased - to be put in coast wise trade
Door County Advocate Schooner Belle Laurie 1892-06-25 5 Pulled off beach - leaking rapidly
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Schooner Belle Laurie 1881-04-28 3 Departed the past week. Milwaukee, 2000 posts for F. Swaty & Son.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Schooner Belle Laurie 1880-04-15 4 Arrived with a large amount of freight. She departed for Foscoro and took on a load of maple wood on owner's account.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Belle Laurie 1880-06-17 3 Unloaded at this port considerable freight, including 25 tons of coal. She had on board a large amount of iron for the canal.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Schooner Belle Laurie 1880-07-01 3 The schooner Belle Laurie took on 1,000 ties for Shimmel, Janda & Kwapil and left on Monday.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Schooner Belle Laurie 1880-08-05 3 Shimmel, Janda & Kwapil shipped on schooners J. F. Tracy, 1,400 posts and 3,500 ties Mon; Belle Laurie, 1,100 ties, Mon.

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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.

© 2026 - Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Historical Society