Shotline Diving – Reference Documentation
Newspaper Research Guide for Great Lakes Shipwrecks
This guide is based on searches in Michigan and Wisconsin papers, but the same workflow works anywhere. Swap the newspaper titles and place names for your target lake, river, region, or country, keep the sequence, and you have a repeatable method for tracking down wreck reports, winter losses, and obscure harbour incidents.
Use case
Build evidence for wreck pages & reference entries
How to Use This Guide
Think like a 19th-century reporter. Most wreck stories are short, local, and filed under predictable headings. Your job is to stack the evidence: local paper → regional paper → official record cross-check.
- Start local (closest harbour paper) for the first mention.
- Follow up major ports for casualty summaries and insurance/legal notices.
- Cross-check with enrollment/registry where possible.
Quick Guide
- Use quotes for vessel names.
- Search spelling variants.
- Try type + event + location.
- Check 2–7 days later for legal/insurance notices.
Newspaper Sources & Digital Access
Example setup for Wisconsin / Lake Michigan. Replace the paper names, harbours, and province/state to adapt this table for any other shoreline.
| Newspaper | Date Range of Interest | Digital Access |
|---|---|---|
| Door County Advocate (Sturgeon Bay, WI) | 1862–present (focus 1870–1930) | Newspapers.com, Wisconsin Historical Newspapers |
| Milwaukee Journal | 1882–1995 | Newspapers.com, Google News Archive |
| Milwaukee News | 1870s–1890s (sporadic) | Chronicling America, local Milwaukee library microfilm |
Core Maritime Search Keywords
Use exact phrases or proximity searches where supported. Combine ship type + event + location. Think like a reporter describing a bad day on the lake.
| Category | Keywords / Phrases | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ship Type | “schooner”, “steam tug”, “propeller”, “scow”, “fish tug”, “yacht” | Small craft were often generic; try singular/plural and old terms. |
| Vessel Name | "M.C. Springer", "Luise M." |
Use quotes; search spelling variants (Luise/Louise, etc.). |
| Events / Wrecks | “wrecked”, “stranded”, “sunk”, “sank”, “foundered”, “abandoned”, “capsized”, “drifted from moorings” | Most common terms in older wreck reporting. |
| Winter / Ice Losses | “carried from moorings”, “jammed in ice”, “ice carried”, “winter lay-up”, “crushed by ice” | Critical for harbour losses and “vanished” hulls. |
| Harbour & Local Features | “Milwaukee Harbor”, “Kenosha Harbor”, “Oak Creek”, “Racine dock”, “Winthrop Harbor” | Use local terms for docks, points, shoals, bars, creek mouths. |
| Headings | “Marine Intelligence”, “Local Marine Notes”, “Marine Casualties”, “Marine Disasters” | Where the short wreck snippets are buried. |
| Official / Legal | “abandoned to underwriters”, “surrendered enrollment”, “Registry No.”, “Marine Board” | Flags official abandonment and insurance notices. |
| Rescues | “crew rescued”, “picked up by steamer”, “lifeboat”, “clung to wreckage” | Human-interest leads often include names and exact locations. |
Advanced Search Tips
-
Use date filters
Narrow searches to seasonal risk windows:- Oct–Dec: gales, first ice movement (e.g., M.C. Springer, 1892).
- Mar–Apr: ice-out accidents, vessels carried from moorings.
- Aug–Sep: summer shipping runs (e.g., Luise M., 1916).
-
Search by port logs
Add nearby ports to catch reprinted marine notes:- Door County Advocate: Sturgeon Bay, Fish Creek, Baileys Harbor.
- Milwaukee papers: Kenosha, Racine, Oak Creek, Port Washington.
-
Combine vessel type + location
Example string:
schooner sunk Oak Creek "ice carried" Milwaukee Harbor -
Cross-reference enrollment / registry data
If a registry number is known (e.g., M.C. Springer #91936), search for legal and insurance notices in the nearest major port’s papers.
Recommended Workflow for Shipwreck Newspaper Research
-
Identify vessel name variants
- Confirm spelling in HCGL (BGSU) or the Swayze Shipwreck File.
- List expected local spellings (Luise/Louise, Johnston/Johnson, etc.).
-
Search the local / harbour paper first
- Start with the closest port paper for launch reports and small incidents.
- Look for headings like Marine Notes or Marine Intelligence.
-
Follow up in major city papers
- Use major ports (Milwaukee/Chicago/Toronto/Montreal) for storm coverage and casualty summaries.
- Search 2–7 days after the loss for insurance/legal notices.
-
Cross-check with official records
- Match the narrative against enrollment surrender dates and registry notes.
- Where available, compare with Marine Board / inspection reports.
Downloadable Cheat Sheet
Printable for libraries, archives, and trip planning sessions — your “newspaper shotline” for tracking down lost hulls.