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 | Steamer | Chicago | 1913-07-24 | 1 | Connecting rod broke | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Chicago | 1910-06-30 | 1 | Loaded grain | |
| Door County Advocate | Liner | Chicago | 1911-04-13 | 1 | Schedule given | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Chicago | 1905-09-09 | 1 | Agent denies steamer pulled off run | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | Chicago | 1906-04-27 | 1 | Assignments given | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Side wheeler | Chicago | 1915-04-23 | 4 | The company plans to convert the old side wheeler Chicago into a freight boat for use along the west shore. The main deck and cabin of the Chicago would be removed. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Chicago | 1898-09-23 | 3 | Was several hours behind time owing to the thick smoke and fog that hung over the lake. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Chicago | 1898-09-09 | 3 | The schooner Bock wouldn't get out of the way of the steamer Chicago so it could dock. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Chicago | 1897-10-07 | 3 | The Goodrich boat Chicago was in port Monday and loaded a large amount of grain and peas. | ||
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Steamer | Chicago | 1895-05-02 | 3 | She was the first side wheel streamer to enter the harbor this season. She brought a large amount of freight for merchants. |
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.