As we were driving from Fond du Lac to the Wisconsin Dells, we drove through a town named Portage. Some history signs peaked our interest, so we opened up our AAA book for more info. The town’s history was so rich that we decided to come back and investigate. Today is the day. We always start out at the visitors center or CVB.
This town has an area between the Fox River (that runs north) and the Wisconsin River (that runs south). In the spring flood waters, early trappers and Indians could float their boats between the rivers to go from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. Other times of the year, a portage could be made between the rivers. Amazing how these early men could figure out how to get around!
By the mid-1800s, a canal was built to replace the portage road. Eventually the railroad took over, and the canal wasn’t needed for transporting goods. Here’s some pictures with more information.
Remember how I had said that we liked the Festival grocery store we went to in Fond du Lac? We went to one in Portage and saw its history and how it honors our veterans. Good for them!
