Portage was named for the Fox - Wisconsin Waterway which was recognized by Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet during their discovery of a route to the Mississippi River in 1673 .
The Fox - Wisconsin Waterway is a portage between the Fox River and the Wisconsin River .
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 .