Portage County, Wisconsin Genealogy

Guide to Portage County, Wisconsin ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. The County has Stevens Point as its seat and the County was created 1844. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Portage County Courthouse 1516 Church Street Stevens Point, WI 54481 Portage County Website Register of Deeds office has birth, death, marriage records, and land records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * Portage County Biographies USGenWeb Archives

Census Records
State Census
 * 1855 - 1855 Wisconsin State Census This census includes name of head of family; other individuals in the household are identified by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born.
 * 1865 - 1865 Wisconsin State Census Name index and images of the 1865 State Census which names the head of household. Most records have been destroyed but schedules exist for the following counties: Dunn, Green, Jackson, Kewaunee, Ozaukee, and Sheboygan.
 * 1875 - 1875 Wisconsin State Census Identifies head of household by name.
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images. Search indexed census.Identifies by name of head of household.  Other information is statistical and identifies the rest of the household by race, gender and country of birth.
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch — index and images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical.
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — Name index and images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants.

Federal Census
 * 1850 and 1900 - Portage County Census Records for 1850 and 1900 USGenWeb Archives

Church Records

 * Portage County churches, Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society

Lutheran
 * Records of Peace Lutheran Church, Amherst, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Court Records
The surviving early probate files have been indexed and are on the Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society's website.Also indexed are the Circuit Court Criminal Case Files Index 1849-1919 and the Circuit Court Civil Case Files Defendant Index 1845-1919

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * Ethnic Communities of Portage County
 * Polish Heritage Highway (Hwy 66) WIGenWeb Project

Local Histories

 * History Links for Portage County WIGenWeb project

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin
 * Family Maps of Portage County, Wisconsin (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Portage County Maps

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Company B
 * - 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Company H
 * - 5th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry Reorganized, Companies D and F
 * - 7th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company G
 * - 14th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company B

World War I

 * Troop I, First Wisconsin Cavalry WIGenWeb project

World War II

 * WWII Veterans Killed in Action Portage County - WIGenWeb project

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Portage County Naturalization index, Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society

Newspapers

 * [ Portage County Newspaper listing], Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society

Obituaries

 * Portage County Obituary Index, part of the Central Wisconsin Genealogy Index.
 * Newspaper obituaries, Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society. Full text obituaries from The Wisconsin Pinery (1853-1890) and The Plover Times (1866-1881. These are not indexed in the Portage County Obituary Index.
 * Portage County Obituaries USGenWeb Archives
 * Obit Index by Betty Martz WIGenWeb project
 * Portage Cemeteries and Obituaries at FamilySearch.

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1800–1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry — images and index $
 * 1848–1948 at FamilySearch — images
 * Probate Index

Birth

 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1826-1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1826-1926 at FamilySearch — index
 * Portage County Vital Records Collected by Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society
 * Pre-1907 Portage County Birth Records Index WIGenWeb project

Marriage

 * 1836-1911 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1836-1930 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1973-1997 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1973-1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index/images $
 * Portage County Vital Records Collected by Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society

Death

 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index
 * Portage County Vital Records Collected by Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society

Divorce

 * 1965-1984 at FamilySearch — index

Archives

 * Neils R. Kampenga Archives and Area Research Center University of Wisconsin Library 900 Reserve Street, Room 520 Stevens Point, WI 54481-1962 Phone: 715-346-2586 Website Email: [mailto:archives@uwsp.edu archives@uwsp.edu] Facebook

Libraries

 * University of Wisconsin Library Nelis R. Kampenga Archives and Area Research Center 900 Reserve Street, Room 520 Stevens Point, WI 54481-1962 Phone: 715-346-2586 Website Email: [mailto:archives@uwsp.edu archives@uwsp.edu] Facebook
 * Portage County Public Library
 * List of genealogical resources available at the Portage County Public Library

Societies

 * Portage County Historical Society PO Box 672 Stevens Point, WI 54481 Phone: 715-344-5752 Website
 * Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society 1001 Main Stevens Point, WI 54481 Website
 * Almond Historical Society 319 County A Almond, WI 54900 Phone: 715-366-7341 Website

Websites

 * Portage County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Portage County, WIGenWeb Project
 * Portage County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Nelis R. Kampenga Archives and Area Research Center
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records