The dam was used to generate hydroelectric power for the adjoining Sartell Paper Mill before it burned down in 2012.

[citation needed] Construction of the structure was begun by the Watab Pulp and Paper Company in 1907 and finished in 1911.

[1] The dam was constructed of wooden planks, local granite, and field stones as well as 25,000 barrels concrete.

Between 1960 and 1964, the dam was rebuilt by the St. Regis Corporation which had purchased the adjoining paper mill in 1946.

Construction of the dam resulted in the formation of Little Rock Lake approximately five miles (8 km) upriver.