This township is one of the best for farming purposes in the county.  The township lines were surveyed by William J. Neeley in August, 1859, and the subdivisions were made by James V. Bunker in June and July, 1867.  It contains, according to the government survey, 22,835.10 acres of land.  It has no streams of sufficient size to appear upon the maps of the county, but there is a body of water on section 21 called Wall Lake, which covers 240.42 acres, and the map of the first survey of this township presents the peculiar fact that there were twelve small bodies of water besides Wall Lake, and when it was subdivided, ten of these ponds were located around the corners of the subdivisions.  Wall Lake is quite a resort for fishermen and pleasure seekers, and is only twelve miles from the city of Sioux Falls.  It is a fine body of water, let the seasons be what they may, wet or dry.  At as early a date as August 8, 1874, the Sioux Falls Pantagraph published the statement that the real estate firm of Cameron & Pettit of Sioux Falls had laid out the town at Wall Lake.  The township has only one post office called Lake City, located near the lake.  Its nearest railroad station is Hartford, located two miles and a half from the north township line.  The residents are principally of German descent, and there can be found in no place in the county a more industrious, thrifty class of farmers than in Wall Lake township.  Good substantial farm houses, large commodious barns, and fine stock can be seen in all parts of the township.
     This church (photo of Zion German Lutheran Church), which is known as the Wall Lake Zion Gemeinde, was organized in 1881, with a membership of forty-five.  In 1883 a very fine and commodious church building was erected, at a cost of $3,000, which was paid by members of the church.  The church building and parsonage are located in the northeast corner of section 8.  The first pastor of the church was the Rev. E. Hahnemann.  The Rev. Mr. Voelkert was then pastor of the church for about two years, and was succeeded by the Rev. L. Weinrich, who remained until the present pastor, the Rev. J. Hansen, took charge of the church.  Services are held every Sunday, and the present membership is seventy-five.  There is also a Sunday school connected with the church with an average attendance of thirty.
     GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH.—This church, which is in the German language called Dreieinigkeits Gemeinde, was organized in Wall lake in 1882, with about fifteen charter members.  A church building was erected the same year on the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 11, at a cost of about $1,050.00, which was raised by subscription.  The Rev. E.G. Starck was the first pastor of the church; he was succeeded by the Rev. G.J. Fischer, who remained until the present pastor, the Rev. C.P. Thusius, took charge of the church.  The present membership is twenty-seven, and services are held every two weeks.  There is also a Sunday school connected with the church, with an average attendance of twenty-two scholars.  In 1882, there was a parsonage erected near the church, at a cost of about $400.00.
     FREE METHODIST CHURCH.—A Free Methodist society was organized in Wall Lake township by Mrs. Ulba Thompson of Grand Meadow in 1895, and services were held by her in one of the school houses until the winter of 1897, when the school authorities refused the further use of the school house.  Mrs. Thompson upon receiving notice of the action of the school board decided at once that a church building should be erected for the use of the church society she had organized.  Mr. S.A. Hoyt gave the society one and half acres of land on the southwest corner of section 21, and during the summer of 1898, a church building was erected 23x24 feet in size, at a cost of $1,027.  On Sunday the 18th day of September, of that year, it was dedicated, and the sermon on the occasion was preached by the Rev. J.H. Wilson, a district elder in the Iowa conference.

     1881.  The first township officers were:  Supervisors, T.J. Collins chairman, W.D. Alderson, Charles Lueth; justice, John Berguin; W.T. Pierce was elected clerk, but he removed from the township and James A. Hooker was appointed to fill the vacancy.  During the year the township was divided into four road districts.
     1882.  Supervisors, T.J. Collins chairman, W.D. Alderson, Charles Lueth; clerk, James Tracy; treasurer, Charles Boy; assessor, Wm. B. Knott; justices, Wm. Miller, Henry Aulwes.
     1883.  Supervisors, T.J. Collins chairman, W.D. Alderson, Charles Lueth; clerk, James Tracy; treasurer, Charles Boy; assessor, Wm. B. Knott; justices, Wm. Miller, Henry Aulwes.
     1884.  The following officers were elected at the first annual March election:  Supervisors, T.J. Caldwell chairman, W.D. Alderson, Charles Lueth; clerk, A.P. Felt; treasurer, Charles Boy; justices, H. Aulwes, C. Felhafer; constables, James Hooker and Wm. Miller.
     1885.  Supervisors, T.J. Collins, chairman, Charles Lueth, L. Wehrkamp; clerk, James Tracy; treasurer, Charles Boy; assessor, C.F. Maehl; justice, A.C. Brown.
     1886.  Supervisors, T.J. Collins chairman, W.D. Alderson, L.E. Wehrkamp; clerk, James Tracy; treasurer, Charles Boy; assessor, C.F. Maehl; Justice, Wm. Felhafer; constables, Rudolph Kuhn, Carl Westphal.
     1887.  Supervisors, W.D. Alderson chairman, L.E. Wehrkamp, Wm. Miller; clerk, James Tracy; treasurer, Charles Boy; assessor, C. Maehl; justices, J.A. Campbell and A.H. Janke; constables, Michael Dragen, Carl Felhafer.
     1888.  Supervisors, James Tracy chairman, L.E. Wehrkamp, Henry Dreyer; clerk, James Hooker; treasurer, Charles boy; assessor, C. Maehl; justice, August Janke; constable, Julius Volkman.
     1889.  Supervisors, James Tracy chairman, Henry Dreyer, Henry Aulwes; clerk, James Hooker; treasurer, Charles Boy; assessor, C. Maehl; justice, T.J. Collins; constable, Henry Fensterman.
     1890.  Supervisors, James Tracy chairman, Henry Aulwes, L.E. Wehrkamp; clerk, James Hooker; treasurer, Charles Boy; assessor, C. Maehl; justices, for two years, C. Sweeney, for one year, Joachim Muchow; constable, C.F. Maehl.
     1891.  Supervisors, James Tracy chairman, L.E. Wehrkamp, Henry Aulwes; clerk, James Hooker; treasurer, Carl Stowsand; assessor, Charles Maehl; justice, Wm. Connoley; constables, Otto Gunther, C.C. Muchow.
     1892.  Supervisors, Henry Aulwes chairman, L.E. Wehrkamp, Wm. Muchow; clerk, J.A. Hooker; treasurer, Carl Stowsand; assessor, Chas. Maehl; justice, Carter Sweeney; constables, A.G. Brown, C.C. Muchow.
     1893.  Supervisors, Henry Aulwes chairman, L.E. Wehrkamp, James Dargen; clerk, J.A. Hooker; treasurer, Carl Stowsand; assessor, Charles Maehl; justice, Wm. Connoley; constables, Joachim Muchow, P.K. Tucker.
     1894.  Supervisors, Henry Aulwes chairman, L.E. Wehrkamp, James Dargen; clerk, J.A. Hooker; treasurer, Carl S. Stowsand; assessor, J.W. Muchow.
     1895.  Supervisors, A.G. Brown chairman, Charles Lueth, Joe Helberg; clerk, Carter Sweeney; treasurer, Carl Stowsand; assessor, J.W. Muchow.
     1896.  Supervisors, A.G. Brown chairman, Charles Lueth, Joe Helberg; clerk, Carter Sweeney; treasurer, Carl Stowsand; assessor, Charles Voelsch.
     1897.  Supervisors, Charles Lueth chairman, John Lowell, J. Helberg; clerk, Otis Sweeney; treasurer, Carl Stowsand; assessor, Charles Voelsch.
     1898.  Supervisors, Charles Lueth chairman, Joe Helberg, Joe Miller; clerk, J. Sweeney; treasurer, Henry Muchow; assessor, Charles Voelsch.
     1899.  Supervisors, W.D. Alderson chairman, Wm. Muchow, Rudolph Kuhn; clerk, J.O. Sweeney; treasurer, Henry Muchow; assessor, Charles Voelsch; justices, Y.G. Brown, Wm. Jordan; constables, W. Dwyer, Joe Muchow, Jr.

     ALDERSON, WALTER D., was born at Plymouth, Mass., April 9, 1853.  He came West and located in this county in April, 1876, taking up as a homestead the southwest quarter of section 17, and as a tree claim the northwest quarter of the same section, which he afterwards sold.  He is keeping “bachelor’s hall” on his homestead, and has a good farm.  He has been supervisor of the town board several years, also its chairman, and is an honest, upright citizen.
     AULWES, HENRY, was born in Iowa October 25, 1847.  He removed to Dakota in April, 1882, and bought the southeast quarter of section 9, in Wall Lake, where he still resides.  He is also the owner of 360 acres of land in section 16.  He has a good farm and engages in stock and grain raising.  He has been justice of the peace two years, and a member of the town board of supervisors six years, three years of which he was its chairman.  In November, 1896, he was elected representative from Minnehaha county to the state legislature upon the fusion ticket.  He is a respected citizen.
     BOY, CHARLES, was born April 12, 1839, in Germany.  He emigrated to the United States in 1872, stopped in Illinois for a short time, and came to Dakota in May, 1873, and took up a homestead in Lincoln county.  From there he removed to Minnehaha county and settled in Wall Lake, where he bought 640 acres of land in sections 8, 9 and 17, and engaged in farming.  He was industrious and enterprising, and soon had one of the best farms in the county.  He was treasurer of Wall Lake twelve years, and was a member of the House of the state legislature two terms, in 1891 and 1893.  He died May 15, 1893, from the effects of an accident that happened to him a few days before while blasting rock on his farm.  He was an honest, upright citizen, and his loss was keenly felt throughout the county.
      DARGEN, MICHAEL, settled in this county March 13, 1878, upon his present homestead, the northwest quarter of section 32, in Wall Lake.  A few years ago he bought the northeast quarter of section 31, in the same town, and now resides at that place.  He is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and was born December 23, 1849.  He also lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota before coming here.  He has for several years held the office of treasurer of school district number 110, and has been supervisor and chairman of the town board, is a good farmer and a good citizen.
     DREYER, HENRY, has been a resident of this county since May 18, 1878, and is the owner of a good farm comprising 160 acres of section 14, and also 80 acres of section 15, in Wall Lake.  Has been a member of the town board for two years.  He is a native of Germany, and was born January 8, 1832; emigrated to the United States in 1866; settled in Iowa and lived there till he came to this county.
     FELT, PETER A., emigrated to the United States in 1868; lived in Minnesota for ten years, and came to Dakota in the spring of 1878.  He filed a homestead upon the northwest quarter of section 34, in Wall Lake, where he resided until his death, which occurred May 16, 1895.  He held the office of school district clerk four years and director three years.  He was born in Sweden, November 11, 1825.
     GRAVE, FRITZ, is a native of Germany, and was born January 22, 1850.  After coming to the United States in 1870 he lived in Illinois, then Iowa, and came to this county and settled on his present farm in the fall of 1882.  At that time he secured as a homestead the northwest quarter of section 30, in Wall Lake, where he has since resided.  He recently bought the southwest quarter of section 18, in the same township.  He has a good farm and is a good citizen.
     GUNTHER, FREDERICK, is a native of Germany, and was born in 1820.  He emigrated to the United States in 1862, and lived for several years in Wisconsin.  In the spring of 1884 he came to Dakota and settled in Wall Lake, in this county, purchasing the northwest quarter of section 33.  Mr. Gunther is an industrious, honest citizen.
     HOOKER, JAMES A., has resided in this county since 1879, when he came from Iowa.  He formerly lived in Illinois, and also in New York, where he was born September 29, 1845.  He owns at this writing 400 acres of farm-land in sections 20, 28, and 29, in Wall Lake.  He is a prosperous farmer and a well known citizen, and has been clerk of the town board several years.
       HOYT, STEPHEN A., was born in Ulster county, New York, July 27, 1834.  He enlisted in the 17th Illinois Infantry, and served during the war of the rebellion three years and three months.  Since that time his home has been in the state of Illinois.  He has been engaged in several lines of business, lumber, grain, hardware, and for several years past had been a banker at Forest, Illinois.  Edward P. Beebe, a former banker of Sioux Falls, is cashier of the bank.  Twelve years ago Mr. Hoyt purchased all the land in section 21 in Wall Lake, except 25 acres, also 280 acres adjoining in sections 20 and 22, and now has a good farm with fine buildings.  Since he made his investment in this county he has spent the summer months on his farm and in the city of Sioux Falls.  He is a pleasant man to meet, and is highly respected.
     JORDAN, CHARLES W., was born at Watertown, Wisconsin, June 17, 1857.  He came to Dakota April 7, 1882, and bought the southeast quarter of section 19, in Wall Lake, where he still resides.  He is a good farmer and respected citizen.
     KALB, CASPER W., is a native of Prussia, and was born in 1842.  He came to this country in 1867, lived in Wisconsin for three years; then in Iowa, and located in this county May 28, 1879.  He took up as a homestead the east half of the northwest quarter and the west half of the northeast quarter of section 20, in Wall Lake, where he still resides.
     KNOTT, GEORGE A., was born in Surrey, England, in 1838, but lived in the city of London until 1856.  At that time he emigrated to the United States with his father, and settled in Belvidere, Illinois, where he lived until 1861.  He then removed to Waverly, Iowa, and lived there until 1873, when he came to this county, and settled in Sioux Falls.  He soon began the erection of the Sioux Falls Brewery in connection with a man by the name of Nelson, but shortly after its completion in 1874, Mr. Nelson sold out his interest to C.K. Howard.  From this time until 1886 Mr. Knott was manager of the brewery.  He then moved out on a farm which he had secured in Wall Lake township, and remained there engaged in farming until 1889, when he moved back to Sioux Falls and engaged in the livery business.  He served as alderman from the Second ward in 1883-4-9; was one of the county commissioners in 1891-2, but resigned on the 31st day of December, 1892, to accept the office of sheriff of Minnehaha county, to which he had been elected in November preceding.  He held this office two years, and then returned to his farm, where he has since resided.  Mr. Knott made a good record in all the official positions which he held.  He is a good neighbor, a generous, enterprising citizen, and one of the most popular men in the county.
     KUHN, RUDOLPH, was born in Dodge county, Wisconsin, December 9, 1855.  He came to Dakota March 6, 1880, and has been a resident of this county since then.  He is the owner of 200 acres of land in sections 20 and 29 in Wall Lake, where he resides and has a good farm.  He has been one of the directors of school district No. 110 for several years, is a good farmer and a respected citizen.
     LOWELL, JOHN, has lived in the town of Wall Lake since 1884.  He owns about 240 acres of land in sections 35 and 36 in that town, and has a good farm with substantial buildings.  He is a native of Maine, and was born May 17, 1838.  He also resided in Wisconsin and Illinois before he settled here.  He is an industrious farmer, and a good citizen.
     LUETH, CHARLES, was born in Germany, May 5, 1848, and emigrated to the United States in 1864.  He resided in Iowa until 1878, when he came to this county and settled in Wall Lake.  He took up the northwest quarter of section 7 as a homestead, and afterwards purchased the southeast quarter of section 6 and the northwest quarter of section 8, where he now resides.  Mr. Lueth has been a successful farmer and will manage to get along without free silver.  He has been one of the school officers in his district for several years, a member of the town board for five years, and its chairman since 1897.  He is a good neighbor and a good citizen.
     MILLER, WILLIAM, was born in Ozaukee county, Wisconsin, December 28, 1846.  He lived there until he removed to this county, where he arrived June 5, 1881.  He secured as a homestead the east half of the northwest quarter and the west half of the northeast quarter of section 22, and has recently bought the east half of the same quarter, in Wall Lake, where he resides and has a good farm.  He has been a member of the town board of supervisors.
     MUCHOW, HENRY, was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, in 1852.  He emigrated to Iowa and lived there for some time before he came to Dakota.  He settled in this county, December 29, 1875, filing a homestead upon the south half of the northwest quarter and the north half of the southwest quarter of section 2, in the town of Wall Lake, where he has since resided.  He has a well improved farm and is a good farmer.  He is at this writing treasurer of Wall Lake township.
     MUCHOW, JOCHIM, is a native of Mecklenburg, Germany, and was born December 5, 1841.  He was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools.  From the age of about seventeen years he worked on the railroad and other public works until 1864, when he emigrated to the United States.  He stopped in New York a short time, and then lived in Toledo, Ohio, for about seven months; removed to Postville, Iowa, and resided there about six years, then went to Algona county, Iowa, where he lived two years.  In 1874 he came to Minnehaha county, and located in Wall Lake on the 15th day of May of that year.  He took up as a tree claim the southeast quarter, as a homestead the northeast quarter, and later bought the southwest quarter, all in section 11.  He also at one time owned two other quarter sections, which he disposed of to his sons.  He has three sons, John, Henry, and Charles, who are all industrious and good citizens of the county.  Mr. Muchow resides on his homestead, has a good, substantial farm, and is one of the large and successful farmers in this locality.  When he first located on his present farm he lived with his family in a tent for eleven weeks, and then moved into a small sod house which he built; two years later he built a frame house 14x16, in which they lived a good many years until he built his present residence.  The German Lutheran cemetery is located in the northwest corner of his homestead, and the German church, and the school house in district 29, are also located there.
     MUCHOW, WILLIAM, is a native of Germany, and was born September 8, 1858.  He emigrated with his parents and several brothers to the United States in 1873, and located in Kossuth county, Iowa, where they remained three years.  At that time they removed to Dakota, and arrived in this county on the 16th day of March, 1876, taking up as a homestead the southwest quarter of section 5, in Wall Lake, which now belongs to the subject of this sketch, and where he resides.  He also owns the southeast quarter of section 21, in Hartford township.  He has been a member of the town board of supervisors one year and clerk of the school board several years.  He is a good farmer and an honest, upright citizen.
     NICHOLSON, OLOF M., was born in Sweden, October 11, 1848, and emigrated to the United States in 1865.  In February, 1885, he came to Wall Lake, and when the school lands were offered for sale he purchased a small farm in section 36.  He is a good, reliable citizen.
     RILEY, MICHAEL, has been a resident of Minnehaha county since May, 1878, at which time he took up as a homestead, the southeast quarter of section 25, in the town of Wall Lake, to which he has added forty acres in section 36.  He was born September 29, 1838, in Wicklow county, Ireland; emigrated to Iowa and lived there before he removed to his present place.  He is a good citizen.
     STOWSAND, CARL, is a native of Germany, and was born November 20, 1852.  He emigrated to the United States in 1872, and resided in Iowa till 1883, when he removed to this county.  He bought and still owns the southeast quarter of section 4, and the northeast quarter of section 9, in Wall Lake, where he resides, and has a good farm.  He has been school district clerk and treasurer several years, and town treasurer seven years.  He is an enterprising farmer and a good citizen.
     SWEENEY, CARTER, was born October 10, 1840, in Washington county, Kentucky.  He lived there for twenty-one years, then in Illinois, and came to Dakota and settled in this county in March, 1889.  He bought the northeast quarter of section 32, in Wall, Lake, where he resides and has a good farm.  On the 4th day of November, 1861, he enlisted in the army and remained until December 6, 1864, serving the entire time under the noted General George H. Thomas.  He has been justice of the peace and town clerk in Wall Lake, and is a good citizen.
     TRACY, JAMES, is a native of Ireland, and was born in the county of Tipperary, August 31, 1846.  He emigrated to this country and resided in Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin, and came to this county March 13, 1878.  He took up as a homestead the northeast quarter of section 32, in Wall Lake, but sold it to Carter Sweeney in 1889.  He has held the office of school clerk several years, town clerk two years, and has been chairman of the town board four years.  He is a good neighbor and an active, honest, enterprising citizen.
     VOELSCH, CHARLES, is a native of Germany, and was born November 26, 1871.  He emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1881, who settled in Wall Lake township, taking up a homestead and tree claim in sections 6 and 18.  Carl Voelsch, his father, died in 1891, and the subject of this sketch has since purchased 160 acres adjoining the old homestead and has a good farm.  He has been assessor of Wall Lake township three years, and is a good citizen.
     WEHRKAMP, LEWIS E., was born in Guttenberg, Clayton county, Iowa, November 10, 1849.  He came to this county in the fall of 1876, and secured the north half of the northwest quarter of section 14, and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 15 in Wall Lake, which he proved up as a homestead.  He also owns the southeast quarter of section 10 in the same township.  He resides on his homestead and has a good farm with substantial buildings, and well stocked.  He has been a member of the town board nine years, is an enterprising farmer, and highly esteemed as a neighbor and citizen.
     WESTPHAL, C.F.A., is a native of Prussia, and was born in 1832.  He emigrated to the United States and lived in Iowa until 1884, when he removed to this county, where he now owns the northwest quarter of section 4, in Wall Lake.  He is a good farmer and has a good farm well stocked with cattle and horses.