Welcome to Columbia County  

Surgeon's Quarters The only remaining building of historic Fort Winnebago 1828 - 1845. Surgeon's Quarters overlooks the site where Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette left the Fox River at the east end of the Wauona Trail in 1673. Lieut. Jefferson Davis, later President of the Confederacy, served here after graduating from West Point. In 1828 soldiers came to erect Fort Winnebago, the middle link in a chain of three forts along the Fox-Wisconsin waterway. Francois LeRoi operated a portaging business; his house, built between 1819 and 1828, is now known as Surgeon's Quarters. In 1937 the Wisconsin Society, Daughters of the American Revolution bought the only remaining building of Fort Winnebago and began its restoration. Surgeon's Quarters was opened to visitors in 1954. Located next to the Surgeon's Quarters is the Garrison School, used continuously from 1850-1960. Surgeon's Quarters is furnished with authentic pieces, some of which were actually in Fort Winnebago. The surgeon's room has the old fort hospital operating table and two desks built by soldiers. The wooden eagle which surmounted the Fort gate surveys the room from one of these desks.  Visitors see a collection of old medical books, surgeon's equipment of the time, plans and records of the Fort and furnishings of the day. Pine logs, squared and hewn with axes, form outer walls; the floor and ceiling joists are hand hewn tamarack poles. Much of the original flooring is still in place. The walls are plastered over hand sawn and hand tooled lath, a portion of which has been left exposed. Surgeons Quarters East Highway 33 Portage, Wisconsin 53901 (608) 742-2949 Owned, restored and maintained by Wisconsin Society Daughters of the American Revolution Admission charged Open May 15 through October 15 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily