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 Betsey 1875-12-09 8 To be given a thorough rebuild during the winter.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1875-11-18 8 River tug made her last trip on Tuesday. She will go on the dry dock where she will receive a thorough overhauling both in hull and machinery.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Betsey 1876-04-20 8 Betsey, of the Ahnapee and Forestville line, made her first trip to the latter place, this season, on Monday.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1877-10-18 8 About 700 cords of wood yet remain up the river and the tug will have all she can do to bring it down ere the river freezes.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Betsey 1877-06-21 10 Charley Bacon and Charles Bacon, of Ahnapee fitting out a scow to carry wood and stone. Charley part owner of steamer Betsey, Charles mate of John F. Prince.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1877-07-05 10 Our lively little tug plies between here and Forestville every day.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1877-08-30 8 Took a group of people on an excursion.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1877-02-08 8 Warner & Bacon began the work of repairing their tug.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Steamer Betsey 1877-04-19 8 Commences operations last Tues. Captain George Warner walks the quarter deck, with Jud. Lathrop as second in command.
Ahnapee (Algoma) Record Tug Betsey 1876-11-02 8 Has been chartered to take up those of our citizens who desire to go to a grand republican meeting, free of charge.

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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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