Historic Indian Agency House, 1832
Location
1490 Agency House Rd.
Portage, WI 53901
Hours
Open: May 15 - October 15, Wednesday through Saturday, 10-4, and Sunday 12-5
Contact
Phone: (608) 742-6362
http://www.agencyhouse.org
About
Built in 1832, the Historic Indian Agency House served as the contact point between the federal government and the Indigenous Ho-Chunk Nation during a pivotal time in the history of the upper Midwest. The historic home encapsulates the vivid stories of Wau-Bun, a memoir written by Indian Agent John H. Kinzie's wife, Juliette Magill Kinzie. Located at a critical geographic intersection on the Wisconsin frontier, the Agency House survives as a reminder of the important lessons of the history forged at this crossroads of cultures.The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Wisconsin restored the home in 1931 and opened it as a museum in 1932. The site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972, continues to educate visitors through tours, events, and interpretive trails spanning a 233-acre preserve.
If the Kinzies' story lives on in Portage, Wisconsin, their heritage also survives in the annals of the NSCDA. The Georgia society was founded by John and Juliette's daughter, Eleanor Kinzie Gordon, who in turn raised Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts.