▁Const ruction ▁▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁for ▁the ▁Mil ld am ▁was ▁conce ived ▁by ▁Uri ah ▁Cot ting , ▁a ▁real ▁estate ▁merchant ▁who ▁had ▁established ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁developing ▁the ▁Boston ▁water front . ▁Boston ▁historian ▁Justin ▁W ins or ▁described ▁Cot ting ▁as ▁" the ▁project or ▁and ▁gu iding ▁spirit ▁in ▁nearly ▁every ▁enter prise ▁involving ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁for ▁business ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁twenty ▁years " ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁was ▁developed ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁short age ▁of ▁industrial ▁goods ▁during ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁for ▁Cot ting ▁believed ▁Boston ' s ▁t ides ▁could ▁be ▁util ized ▁to ▁power ▁fact ories . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Legisl ature ▁approved ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁dam . ▁However , ▁a ▁slow ▁industrial ▁economy ▁following ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁delayed ▁the ▁dam ' s ▁immediate ▁construction . ▁Despite ▁the ▁economic ▁troubles , ▁mer ch ants ▁were ▁eager ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁the ▁dam . ▁Cot ting ▁predicted ▁that ▁the ▁dam ▁would ▁yield ▁ 8 1 ▁mill s ▁and ▁cost ▁$ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁but ▁bring ▁in ▁$ 5 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁a ▁year ▁in ▁re venue . ▁It ▁would ▁also ▁provide ▁a ▁second ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Brook line , ▁Bright on , ▁and ▁Wat ert own . ▁Const ruction ▁began ▁in ▁