Portage

Portage or portaging is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage.

Early French explorers in New France and French Louisiana encountered many rapids and cascades. The Native Americans carried their canoes over land to avoid river obstacles.

Over time, important portages were sometimes provided with canals with locks, and even portage railways. Primitive portaging generally involves carrying the vessel and its contents across the portage in multiple trips. Small canoes can be portaged by carrying them inverted over one's shoulders and the center strut may be designed in the style of a yoke to facilitate this. Historically, voyageurs often employed tump lines on their heads to carry loads on their backs.

Portages can be many kilometers in length, such as the 19-kilometre (12 mi) Methye Portage and the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) Grand Portage (both in North America) often covering hilly or difficult terrain. Some portages involve very little elevation change, such as the very short Mavis Grind in Shetland, which crosses an isthmus.

Portage, Pennsylvania

Portage is a borough with home rule status in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Ebensburg and 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Altoona. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,638 at the 2010 US census.

History

Portage's name comes from the practice of portage or portaging which is the process of carrying a water craft or cargo over land between two bodies of water. The "portaging" that occurred in this area was due to the Allegheny Portage Railroad which ran from Hollidaysburg westward to Johnstown over the Allegheny Front, the height of land separating the Eastern Seaboard of the United States from the Ohio River Valley. The line opened in 1834 and Portage was situated on the #2 plane of the Allegheny Portage Railroad system. Pennsylvania Route 53 follows the route of the railroad through Portage. The unloading spot for the railroad in Portage was the Washington House, which was located where Portage Auto Wreckers is currently.

Portage, Wisconsin

Portage is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,662 at the 2010 census making it the largest city in Columbia County. The city is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Portage was named for the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway, a portage between the Fox River and the Wisconsin River, which was recognized by Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet during their discovery of a route to the Mississippi River in 1673. The city's slogan is "Where the North Begins."

History

The Native American tribes that once lived here, and later the European traders and settlers, took advantage of the lowlands between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers as a natural "portage". In May 1673, Jacques Marquette joined the expedition of Louis Jolliet, a French-Canadian explorer, to find the Mississippi River. They departed from St. Ignace on May 17, with two canoes and five voyageurs of French-Indian ancestry (Métis).[3] They followed Lake Michigan to Green Bay and up the Fox River, nearly to its headwaters. From there, they were told to portage their canoes a distance of slightly less than two miles through marsh and oak plains to the Wisconsin River. Later, French fur traders described the place as "le portage", which eventually lent itself to the name of the community. As a portage, this community developed as a center of commerce and trade; later, a canal was constructed to facilitate this trade. When the railroads came through, the community continued in this role.

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Latest News for: portage

High school scores | March 24: Southeast softball shines at the plate, tops Rootstown

Record-Courier 25 Mar 2025
Southeast shone at the plate in its 2025 opener, topping host Rootstown 10-8 in Monday's nonleague softball game ...

Portage DD awareness rally set Thursday

Record-Courier 24 Mar 2025
Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities has invited the public to an awareness rally and walk on Thursday.

Police watchdog finds 'no reasonable grounds' to charge officer in Portage la Prairie shooting death

CBC 24 Mar 2025
Manitoba’s police watchdog says there are “no reasonable grounds” to support charges for an RCMP officer who was involved in a 2023 shooting incident that left a Portage la Prairie man dead ... .

UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at UH Portage Medical Center Study Shows Improved Patient Cardiovascular Outcomes (University Hospitals Health System Inc)

Public Technologies 24 Mar 2025
In rural areas including Portage County Ohio, geographic isolation has historically led to delayed treatment ... "These encouraging results show our expert caregivers are saving the lives of patients in Portage County," said Dr.

Students, teachers fearful as Portage weakens language requirements

Michigan Live 24 Mar 2025
PORTAGE, MI -- Portage Public Schools is changing their middle school language requirements to comply better with state law ... in these languages,” said Sophia Lin, a Portage Central High School senior.

Portage County inspections: Two restaurants with double-digit violations and 8 ace reports

Stevens Point Journal 24 Mar 2025
The following are the latest results of Portage County Health Department inspections on licensed food establishments and other types of businesses, which the Stevens Point Journal reports monthly. Amherst. Go North Tavern, 152 S. Main St.. Feb. 17 ... Feb. 4.

Portage agencies get volunteer help to battle food insecurity

Akron Beacon Journal 23 Mar 2025
The recipients represent the food-insecure in Portage County ... Ben and his wife, Candace, started the Birdie Bag program 12 years ago and they now serve every school district but Aurora in Portage County, and several school districts in Summit County.

Easter events planned in towns around Portage County

Record-Courier 23 Mar 2025
Easter is on its way, as evidenced by numerous egg hunts, encounters with the Easter Bunny and other events over the next few weeks in Portage County ... March 30 at 10804 Forest St ... Portage County Sheriff's Office plans an Easter egg hunt from 11 a.m.

Portage la Prairie RCMP searching for missing teen

CTV 22 Mar 2025
Mounties are asking the ...

Missing teen from Portage la Prairie hasn't been seen in more than 2 weeks: Manitoba RCMP

CBC 22 Mar 2025
RCMP are asking for help to find a missing 16-year-old from Portage la Prairie who was last seen in early March ... .

Portage la Prairie man, 40, airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries after assault

CBC 22 Mar 2025
A 40-year-old Portage la Prairie man was taken to hospital by air ambulance and remains in critical condition after an assault Friday night, Manitoba RCMP say ... .

Proposed Portage Target will anchor more development

The Indiana Times 22 Mar 2025
The new Target coming to Portage will anchor more retail and restaurant development on a busy stretch of U.S. 6 in Portage, and is expected to be followed by new housing ... .

Nick Marcini soars to 200 career coaching victories with Streetsboro boys’ basketball

Weekly Villager 21 Mar 2025
When it comes to understanding what kind of pride is associated with being a Streetsboro Rocket, no one knows that feeling better than Rockets boys’ basketball Coach Nick Marcini ... 17. “It is exciting,” Marcini told The Weekly Villager on March 14 ... .
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