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 | Steamer | Ada | 1877-06-21 | 10 | One of fleet of gov. vessels to visit Lake Michigan ports during the next month. | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Ada | 1894-09-01 | 5 | Lights mistaken for bridge lights | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Ada Madora | 1905-05-06 | 1 | At shipyard - repairs listed | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Ada Madora | 1890-08-16 | 5 | Loaded with ice | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Ada Medora | 1903-09-12 | 1 | To be purchased and taken to New Orleans | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Ada Medora | 1896-10-10 | 5 | Laid up in Chicago due to few cargoes | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Ada Medora | 1906-10-18 | 1 | Pounded to pieces | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Ada Medora | 1873-09-25 | 4 | From Chicago to Kingston, wheat 22 cents | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Ada Medora | 1897-04-24 | 1 | To Milwaukee with milling wheat | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Ada Medora | 1882-04-27 | 3 | Missed channel + got stuck in mud |
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.