Welcome to Cut-A-Way Dam. Originally the Saint Croix River was utilized primarily by Native Americans, however by the mid 1800s, the logging industry had staked a claim on this area. Cut-A-Way Dam was built by Isaac Staples in 1871, and cost about $10,000. At that time, the cost was considered expensive, but worth it. Many large pine trees were harvested and sent down the river. The dam functioned as a way to create a surge of water to help force the logs on their way, down the river until they reached deeper water. At this point, the logs would be collected and placed on large rafts that would float to the lumber mills. Cut-A-Way Dam was one of the most basic dam designs requiring no mechanisms or gates. The dam area was blocked with logs and gravel, and when it was time to release the logs and create a surge of water, explosives were used to cut a hole in the dam. That is how this style of dam gained the name Cut-A-Way Dam. By mid 1900 or so, most of the forest in the area had been harvested, and Cut-A-Way Dam was eventually abandoned by 2000. Currently, the Wisconsin DNR has made some improvements to the abadoned dam by building a bridge in 2007 and creating a Snowmobile/ATV trail that crosses the bridge. For more historical information about this location, check out this informative website: http://www.johnweeks.com/river_stcroix/pages/sc28.html