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From the Archives
This page features blog posts from various authors telling the stories
of Portage County, Wisconsin while utilizing the resources of
the Portage County Historical Society
Portage County Cultural Festival's Beginnings
The Portage County Cultural Festival (PCCF) is celebrating their 34th year in 2025. Started in 1992, PCCF has multiplied the vendors and...
Cheyenne Antell
Apr 156 min read
195 views
2 comments
Engford Family Circus: Part 3
To read part 1: https://www.pchswi.org/post/the-engford-family-circus-part-1 To read part 2: https://www.pchswi.org/post/the-engford-fami...
Cheyenne Antell
Feb 1412 min read
75 views
4 comments
The Engford Family Circus: Part 2
To read part 1: https://www.pchswi.org/post/the-engford-family-circus-part-1 Family Tree Robert Engford : June 8, 1883 - February 17,...
Cheyenne Antell
Feb 1111 min read
94 views
0 comments
Walter Barnsdale and his Magic Lantern
Advertisements for magic lanterns show up in the earliest Portage County newspapers. These lanterns were already popular in Europe before...
Cheyenne Antell
Jan 2710 min read
81 views
0 comments
Hazards and History: Firefighting in Portage County in the 1800s
Pre-1800s History of Firefighting The first recorded instances of organized firefighters comes from ancient Rome, when bands of vigiles...
Cheyenne Antell
Jan 1324 min read
123 views
0 comments
Snapshots of Winters Past
Snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy these photos of winter from Portage County's past. A crowd gathers to watch tobogganers at...
Cheyenne Antell
Dec 15, 20243 min read
314 views
0 comments
The Last Yellowstone Cabin in Portage County
It was winter of 1999 and in Park Ridge two small log cabins were up on pallets, ready to be moved or demolished. A member of the...
Cheyenne Antell
Dec 10, 20247 min read
316 views
0 comments
The Legacy of George Whiting
Between 1890 and 1925, industry was booming in Stevens Point. Businessmen flocked to Portage County for the clean water, fresh air, and...
Cheyenne Antell
Nov 12, 20247 min read
112 views
0 comments
A Forgotten Brewery: The Story of the Polish Brewing Company in Stevens Point
Discover the story of the Polish Brewing Company, a 1900s brewery that shaped Portage County’s heritage.
John Harry
Oct 30, 20242 min read
304 views
1 comment
The History of Pierce's Grocery Store
The were once many small grocers in Portage County. This is the story of one of them - Pierce's Grocery Store in Plover.
Cheyenne Antell
Aug 8, 202410 min read
375 views
4 comments
Jules Iverson - Builder, Park Namesake, and Watchsmith?
Jules Iverson's name looms large in the Stevens Point area for the park that is named after him, but there is much more to learn about him.
Cheyenne Antell
Jul 1, 20245 min read
342 views
1 comment
It All Started with the Midway Tavern...
Although I am a fifth-generation resident of Portage County and have been a public employee here throughout my entire teaching career,...
Deb Kluz Baker
May 15, 202413 min read
2,217 views
3 comments
Lesser-known Creations of the Lullabye Furniture Company
John Bukolt invented the automatic rocking cradle, and many other devices..
Cheyenne Antell
May 11, 20244 min read
643 views
0 comments
Shining a Light on Uranium Glass
When handling antiques, dangerous compounds can surprisingly show up in everyday objects. It is up to antique dealers, historians, and...
Cheyenne Antell
Apr 8, 20247 min read
3,483 views
1 comment
Carrie Frost & the Fly Tackle Capital of the World
This blog post is about how Carrie Frost turned Stevens Point into the Fly Tackle Capital of the World
Portage County Historical Society
Mar 14, 20242 min read
509 views
9 comments
The Point Special Open Golf Tournament
Check out the story of one of Stevens Point's first major sporting events, the Point Special Open Golf Tournament.
John Harry
Jun 27, 20232 min read
304 views
0 comments
The Engford Family Circus: Part 1
Learn more about the family that gave the Circus House at Heritage Park in Plover it's name in the first of a series all about the Engfords.
Portage County Historical Society
Jun 12, 20235 min read
344 views
2 comments
Charles Chapman: Lincoln's Bodyguard
Charles Lucius Chapman was born in Tioga County, Pennsylvania on March 30, 1842. His father died and soon after his death, his mother...
Jen Brilowski
May 25, 20232 min read
143 views
0 comments
The Small Communities of Portage County
We recently gave a presentation titled "Portage County Unincorporated" which detailed the story of some of the smaller communities in our...
Portage County Historical Society
May 18, 202311 min read
1,043 views
0 comments
George McMulkin and the Delaware Irish
This blog post is to introduce you to George McMulkin, the main driver of Irish immigration to Portage County in the 1850s and 1860s. We...
John Harry
Mar 14, 20233 min read
280 views
1 comment
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