Fort Winnebago Surgeon's Quarters
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Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters
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Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters Historic Site
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| Nearest city | Portage, Wisconsin |
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| Coordinates | 43°33′15″N 89°25′58″W / 43.55417°N 89.43278°WCoordinates: 43°33′15″N 89°25′58″W / 43.55417°N 89.43278°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | circa 1820-1824 |
| Built by | Francis Le Roi |
| Architectural style | French colonial log home |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000029 |
| Added to NRHP | October 28, 1970 |
The Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters is a historic site in Portage, Wisconsin. Located between the Fox River and the Wisconsin River, the site contains two historic buildings: the "surgeon's quarters" and Garrison School. The "surgeon's quarters", built circa 1820, has served multiple purposes over time. Garrison School was built circa 1850. Both properties are owned, operated, and maintained by the Wisconsin SocietyDaughters of the American Revolution, which operates it as a historic house museum with 19th century period furnishings.
"The Portage" was a land bridge just 1 1/4 miles wide separating waterways that flow into the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. The Fox River flows north toward Green Bay, providing access to the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and the Atlantic Ocean. The Wisconsin River flows southwest to the Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The area around Portage was an early travel route for Native Americans. Centuries before the white men arrived, they traversed the 2700-pace foot path between the rivers and recognized it as an important travel route.
In the early 1800s, the U.S. government recognized the geographical importance of "le Portage", which became known as "Portage". Fort Winnebago was one of three forts built to protect settlers and commerce along the Fox-Wisconsin water system in the territory that later became the state of Wisconsin. The other two were Fort Howard in Green Bay and Fort Crawford, in Prairie du Chien.
"By Command of Maj.-Gen. Macomb"
"R. Jones, Adjt.-Gen."
The building now known as "the Surgeons Quarters" was built in 1824 by Francois Le Roi and Therese L'Ecuyer, a Métis. In it, they operated a fur trading and sutler's post and a portaging business. It is one of the oldest French colonial log homes in Wisconsin still standing on its original foundation and is the only remaining building of the historic Fort Winnebago, which was active from 1828 through 1845.
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