NEW DATE!
Join the Portage County Historical Society for an informative and thought-provoking program as part of our America250 lecture series. This talk describes the experiences of Wisconsin’s native peoples during the era of the American Revolution. While colonists rebelled on the Atlantic coast, Ho Chunks, Menominees, Ojibwes, and Potawatomis confronted new challenges and opportunities in the western Great Lakes region. These nations forged new diplomatic and commercial alliances, diversified their economies, protected and expanded their homelands, and endured a brutal smallpox epidemic. Wisconsin’s native peoples experienced their own revolution decades before they confronted the newborn United States.
Monday, March 23, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.
Old Plover Methodist Church at Heritage Park
2700 Madison Ave, Plover
Registration is recommended. A $5 donation at the door is appreciated.
Join us for this important America250 program that centers Indigenous perspectives and deepens our understanding of Wisconsin’s past.
About the presenter: Rob Harper has taught history at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point since 2008. He teaches courses about early American history, Native American history, American women’s history, historical research methods, and historical memory. He also coordinates UWSP’s certificate program in Native American and Indigenous Studies. His first book, Unsettling the West, offers a new interpretation of the history of the Ohio Valley during the Revolutionary War. Professor Harper is currently researching the history of native communities in central Wisconsin in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Join the Portage County Historical Society in conjunction with the Wisconsin Historical Society's History Makers Tour for an engaging evening program as part of our America250 lecture series. This talk explores the often-overlooked stories of people connected to present-day Wisconsin who were drawn into the American Revolutionary War. When British soldiers and colonial militia exchanged musket fire on Lexington Green, Michel Charles de Langlade and his family had been living at La Baye (modern-day Green Bay) for less than ten years. Within a year, Michel and the Native nations of the western Great Lakes–upper Mississippi region—along with Canadian traders and settlers—were pulled into a growing conflict that would determine whether Great Britain’s North American colonies would gain independence from Parliament and King George III.
From the Continental Army’s invasion of Canada in 1775 to Great Britain’s 1780 plan to capture St. Louis and regain the Illinois Country, residents of what is now Wisconsin participated in the Thirteen Colonies’ fight for independence. Presenter Mary Elise Antoine will explain how Canadians and Native peoples of the western Great Lakes–upper Mississippi region were part of the American Revolution, who participated and why they fought, the outcomes of the battles in which they were involved, and how the war shaped life in what would become Wisconsin.
Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m.
Old Plover Methodist Church
2700 Madison Ave, Plover
Registration is required. A $5 donation at the door is appreciated.
Discover how Wisconsin’s earliest residents were connected to the struggle for American independence in this compelling America250 program.
Step into the forge and experience the timeless art of blacksmithing in this hands-on, three-part workshop series. Designed for beginners, the program introduces participants to the seven fundamental techniques of the trade—drawing out, upsetting, cutting/slitting, bending, twisting, punching, and forge welding—through practical, take-home projects. Students will explore both the historical and modern sides of blacksmithing, working with our historic coal forge as well as experimenting with a propane forge.
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Each session builds skills through guided projects.​ By the end of the series, participants will not only take home their own handmade ironwork but also gain a deeper appreciation of blacksmithing’s enduring role in history.
Registration covers all three sessions as well as the cost of materials. Space is extremely limited to 3 participants per time slot, so reserve your spot today
Requirements: This is an adults-only class. For safety, participants must wear long pants, boots (steel toes not required), and only natural fibers or leather—no synthetics. Leather work gloves and ANSI Z87.1-rated safety glasses are required.
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Instructor Information: Instructor Eric Renfert is a local hobbyist blacksmith who first became interested in the trade from watching longtime demonstrator John Berg at the Heritage Days event some twenty years ago. As an adult, he became re-interested and started forging tools and trinkets in 2018, including a set of tomahawks for his groomsmen. An engineer in his day job, Eric volunteers at the Heritage Park demonstrating for visitors. He lives in Stevens Point with his wife and toddler daughter.
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We are planning another workshop for later this year. If you have interest in attending one of our blacksmith workshops, please reach out to education@pchswi.org