It was used for various processes involved in the conversion of wool to cloth, including carding, spinning, weaving, dyeing and sewing.

A historical survey observed that the building was "the object of intense pride ... a local symbol of economic independence from Minnesota, and the focus of Grand Forks' hopes of becoming a manufacturing center."

The presence of the mill removed the necessity to ship wool to Minneapolis for conversion, and so it enabled both higher payments to local farmers for their raw materials and lower prices to consumers.

It ceased operations some time between 1901 and 1906 as it became impossible for it to compete with larger enterprises such as the North Star Woolen Mill in Minneapolis, its Grand Forks location being too distant both from sufficient supplies of raw wool and from consumer markets.

However, with the walls still standing, the main building was rebuilt using a fire-proof construction method in 1918 and at that point included a concrete floor.