Coon Rapids Dam

Coon Rapids Dam. . , Coon Rapids Dam pictured above during construction in 1913. Near here, a small village sprang up during construction of the Coon Rapids Dam. At peak construction, the site became a community including bunkhouses, mess halls, official's quarters, a school, a hospital and a sewer system. All aspects of city life were present including births, deaths, weddings, social events, crime, fires, and telephone exchange. Approximately 1,000 residents of the village worked in around-the-clock shifts to build the dam., This spot known as Coon Creek Rapids (later shortened to Coon Rapids) was chosen since it is at one of the shallowest points of the river. Raccoons populated these shallow waters. The Dunn family sold the last piece of land that was needed to build the dam., The dam required 42,000 cubic feet of concrete and 800 boxcar loads of crushed rock. It elevated the water north of the dam by 15 feet and generated electricity from 1919 to 1960. The original dam was replaced with a dam using inflatable rubber walls in 1998.