Explore the History of Portage County Wisconsin
Use this website to learn more about our history. The Society currently operates four museums; publishes local history books; maintains a large archives housed at the University of Wisconsin -- Stevens Point's Archive Center; is developing its own research center at Heritage Park and maintains the Malcolm Rosholt Online Archives on this website to "disseminate knowledge of the history of Portage County, Wisconsin".
Membership in the Society is open to everyone. (Membership
.)
See our Calendar
for the most up to date list of activities.
Google Translator is located in our "Footer" on each page. About 50 languages are available.
Museums
Our four Museums offer a look at Portage County history from the 1850's to the present.
Beth Israel Synagogue offers a unique view of the large Jewish Community that once
lived in Stevens Point. (Synagogue Brochure.)
The Society has received a matching grant of $10,000 from the
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
for the restoration of Historic Fire House No.2 roof and bell tower. We must raise a matching amount, $10,000, by May, 2012!
If you can make a donation to the Society to help us meet this goal, please contact us.
Historic Fire House No.2 is the oldest municipal building still extant in Stevens Point. (Fire House Brochure.)
Rising Star Mill located in Nelsonville provides cultural and entertainment venues. (Rising Star Mill Brochure.)
Heritage Park located in Plover currently offers 10 buildings and a GB&W Caboose. Visit this park to
see a sample of life as it was from ca. 1850 to ca. 1900. (Heritage Park Brochure.)
Research
Malcolm Rosholt Online Archives: Our extensive Online Archives consists of hundreds of articles about the people, places, and historic events of Portage County. Use our "Search" to assist in locating information in our extensive Archives.
Heritage Park Archives: This Archives was opened in 2008 to accommodate our growing collections. It houses audio, video, books and other material of interest.
Railroad History: The Historical Society's close association with the
Central Wisconsin Model Railroaders, Ltd.
has led to the accumulation of a large collection of railroad material. (see Bancroft Depot &
Caboose).
Outside The Lines: Articles that are not about Portage County but are of historic value and worth presenting here.
Genealogy Research: If Family Genealogy is your goal, use our
"Search" to find family information on our site. Then visit
the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point's Archives and Area Research
Center or use the online links for obituaries,
cemetery lists, and
census data.
Maps: We have uploaded many links to maps through our Geology/Geography section.
Quick Links
Educational
Material
Use our Educational Material main page to get more general ideas on some of the available historical web sites.
We have materials to help teachers develop lesson plans for 3rd grade Portage County history and 4th grade Wisconsin history utilizing this site, the Wisconsin State Historical Society's site and other sites.
Our Hie Corner School program annually sees approximately 800 students from Central Wisconsin attend a half day class in a one room schoolhouse setting.
Another program is our Granny's Attic Trunks program. We have 17 trunks (foot locker size) with items depicting various aspects of life from the early 1900's. These trunks come complete with item descriptions and lesson plans.
