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Portage Canal
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Portage Canal

canal, Wisconsin, United States
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Quick Summary

The Portage Canal was a waterway built in Wisconsin in the 1850s to connect the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. This 1.5-mile (2.5-km) portage route was historically significant, first traversed by explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette in 1673. It served as a vital link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. However, the canal faced competition from a railroad and eventually fell into disuse, closing to navigation in 1951. The term "portage" itself refers to the act of carrying boats and supplies overland between waterways.12

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5 Britannica Sources
  1. Portage
  2. Wisconsin River
  3. Did you know?
  4. Welland Canal
  5. Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

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