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 The idea for a canal to connect
the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers was developed in
the 1820's and 1830's. The canal in its
current location was dug by hand from 1849 to
1851 and then improved after the Civil War by
the Army Corps of Engineers. The canal was
finished in 1876 and at its peak for
recreational boat traffic in 1908 with 1,461
lockages at the Fort Winnebago lock going into
the Fox River and 127 lockages at the Portage
lock. By 1950 the number had dwindled to
only 8 to the Wisconsin River and the following
year, the Portage locks were welded shut.
The canal was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1977.
The Portage Canal Lock at the
entrance to the canal at the Wisconsin River in
Portage. Although the lock has been cemented
closed and the wooden doors are gone, you can
still view the entrance to the historic canal.
 
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Welcome to Columbia County
