[3] The dam was designed by Daniel W. Mead for the Southern Wisconsin Power Company led by Magnus Swanson.

They then covered the array of wood pilings with rock and concrete to form a stable base for the dam and power station.

In 1917, Wisconsin Power and Light, the predecessor of Alliant Energy, purchased the dam and began distributing the electricity to more local markets.

[8][9] The dam and its timber pile foundation have held in place for more than one hundred years, including through the June 2008 Midwest Floods that destroyed Lake Delton upstream.

[10][11] In 2017, Alliant Energy began a project to reinforce the original wood pilings with additional steel micropiles as a preventative measure to extend the life of the structure.