For more than 175 years, lowhead dams have impounded water at this location on Sam's Creek. In 1841, Richard House built the first dam here from wood, dirt, and gravel, though hard rains often washed it out and required rebuilding. House also built one of the first grist mills in the county, where settlers brought grain to be ground into flour. Dam building was critical to the early settlers of Morrow County because the resulting mill ponds created power: water from the pond was channeled through the mill race, where its force turned the mill's waterwheel and powered the equipment. As teenagers, Richard House's sons John and Walter took over operation of the grist mill and eventually added a saw mill and planing mill. In the early 1900s, Richard's grandson Davies George and great-grandson Ernest George joined the business. The mill operated until 1904, when the property was sold to farmer Wesley Shaffer. In 1928, the Ohio Department of Agriculture purchased 92 acres from Shaffer to build a public lake and state game resort. At that time, the upper dam was rebuilt and the lower dam was added to form a second lake. The project continued through 1930 as lake beds were excavated, banks were filled, hillsides along Route 95 were cut down to give a clear view from the highway, and 50,000 trees were planted around the lakes. The new state park opened in the fall of 1930.