Portage County Historical Society

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Located in Central Wisconsin

  •     News & Announcements.     

    News & Announcements

  •   Capital Improvement Fundraiser 2021    More Information
  •   We operate four museums displaying various aspects of Portage County life.
  •   Heritage Park's Annual "Heritage Days" will be held on June 18, 2022.
  •   Rising Star Mill's Music & Cultutal Events.
  •   Heritage Park's bi-annual displays: currently World War II. Go To Videos of World War II Display
  •   See "PCHS Events" for more Event Information.
Membership/Donation

Membership is open to any individual, business or organization that has an interest in the history of Portage County, Wisconsin.

Annual membership levels are available to accomodate Individuals, Seniors, Students, Families and Life Memberships.

Monetary donations are also gratefully accepted. More information:

Join - Pay Dues - Donate

Our Museums

Heritage Park Plover
Heritage Park
Plover

Located in Plover, this 3 acre plot is home to 10 historic buildings, a caboose and numerous examples of farm machinery.

GO TO Heritage Park
Beth Israel Synagogue
Beth Israel Synagogue
Stevens Point

Located in Stevens Point, this building was the center of the Jewish community. Given to us in 1983 we have kept this biulding as it was.

GO TO Synagogue
Firehouse No. 2
Firehouse No. 2
Stevens Point

This oldest surviving municipal building in Stevens Point was built in 1885 to protect the city's southside businesses and railroad.

GO TO Fire House
Rising Star Mill
Rising Star Mill
Nelsonville

Located in Nelsonville, the mill was constructed in 1868 by Jerome Nelson. It holds musical and cultural events in early Spring into early Fall.

GO TO Mill

Online Resources

Malcolm Rosholt Collection
Malcolm Rosholt
Collection

Named after Portage County's leading historian our main collection features: Biographies, Church Histories, School Histories, Community Histories etc.

GO TO HISTORIES
Will Lehner Military Collection
Will Lehner Military
History

A member of the "First Shot Club", Will is Portage County's best known veteran. This section covers and uncovers the stories of individual's contributions to our wars.

GO TO MILITARY HIST.
Engford Family Circus History
Engford Family
Circus History

The Engford Family was the leading circus Family from Portage County. Several other noted circus performers called Portage County home. Read their stories here.

GO TO CIRCUS HIST.
Don Kottke RR History
Don Kottke RR
History

Don was a model railroader and railfan. He was instramental in restoring the Bancroft Depot and placing Heritage Park's infrastucture on a sound footing.

GO TO RR HIST.
Natural History Collection
Natural History
Collection

Milo Harpstead began teaching at what would become UW-Stevens Point in January, 1961. Milo has served as a PCHS Director since the later 1990's. This section is named in his honor.

GO TO Natural Hist.
Educational Material
Educational
Material

Judy and Shirley developed the Society's One-Room School House half-day program in 1998. Annually, 600-800 students pass through this program.


GO TO Educational
Photo Collections
Photo
Collections

Collections of photos about specific subjects, Rural Schools, Hotels, Churches, Business, Parades, etc. Photos will be historic in nature, that is, as old as possible.


GO TO Collections
Wendell Nelson
In Memory of
Wendell Nelson

Wendell Nelson served as Secretary to the Society in late 1970's and early 1980's. He studied architecture and has compiled a massive amount of material on old houses in Portage County.

GO TO Wendell Nelson
Publications
Society
Publications

The Society has around 100 publications






GO TO Publications
Barn Project
Portage County
Barn Project

All 1,500+ Barns in Portage County have been photographed.





GO TO Barn Project
Society Events
PCHS
Events

The Society has hosted many events at Heritage Park: Plover Portage Rendezvous, Civil War Enactments, Heritage Days, and Music Events among them. Rising Star Mill has a musical venue.

GO TO PCHS Events
Map to Our Museums
Map to Our
Museums

A special map page showing the location of our museums.






GO TO Museum MAP