The city of Portage marks an ancient overland portage that was a strategic link between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. In 1828, Fort Winnebago was built to protect the site. Thirty years later, a two-mile canal was hand-dug joining the two rivers. Today, visitors can tour a restored section of the canal. Tours of the Surgeon’s Quarters and the Indian Agency House – all that’s left of old Fort Winnebago – are also offered. The local museum honors the city’s most famous daughter, Pulitzer prize-winning author Zona Gale.