History

With the completion of the Mackenzie Highway in 1948 from Grimshaw, Alberta to Hay River on the shores of Great Slave Lake, a number of new service stops were built along its length.

In the winter of 1948/1949, Jack Parnall, a freight operator based in Hay River, opened a service station at the junction of the Mackenzie Highway and the Mills Lake winter road, which connected to the Mills Lake freight staging area on the Mackenzie River below Fort Providence

 In the late 1950s, the highway was extended to Yellowknife on the north side of Great Slave Lake, and Enterprise became the important junction. Jerry and Mae Eyford opened a Pacific 66 garage in 1956 and Sammy Petersen built a motel and general store in 1964.  The community is a service centre for travelers and is also the base of operations for GNWT highway maintenance in this region.