 Nearby areas were explored by prospectors who made over 100 claims to pieces of land in the highlands around the valley, including Gold Hill.The Sauk Prairie campsite evolved into a settlement that was known as "The Portage" and developed around several homesteads established between 1888 and 1891.A name for the town was decided by a vote of several pioneer residents in July 1891 to prepare for the arrival of a post office.