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
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Scow Chas. Smith 1899-04-28 3 Was the first sail vessel to come into the harbor this spring.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Schooner Chas. Smith 1898-11-04 3 Worst storm of the season. The schooner Oscar Newhouse, Lizzie Metzner, Emma N. Neilsen and schooner Chas. Smith sought shelter here.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Schooner Chas. Smith 1897-11-19 3 Cleared for Milwaukee with a load of 2,000 cedar posts from H. Gericke's yard.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Schooner Chas. Smith 1898-12-09 3 Capt. Armstrong will lay his schooner, the Chas. Smith, up at Milwaukee.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Scow Chas. Smith 1899-06-02 3 In port with a load of lumber.
Door County Advocate Schooner Chas. Spademan 1906-11-08 1 In port with hard coal cargoes
Door County Advocate Coal barge Chas. Spademan 1906-11-15 1 Unloaded cargo of coal
Door County Advocate Steamer Chas. Spencer 1904-08-20 1 Bound up
Door County Advocate Schooner Chas. Starke 1891-07-11 5 Filed suit against Chas. E. Wyman
Door County Advocate Steamer Chas. Street 1898-12-10 1 Into winter quarters at Chicago

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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.

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