The Wall Water Works, Pennington Co., SD


	This chapter is from "Eastern Pennington County Memories", published by 
	The American Legion Auxilliary, Carrol McDonald Unit, Wall, South Dakota 
	And is uploaded with their kind permission. Page 27

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net, 1999. 

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The Wall Water Works

by Dr. G. W. Mills

	In Wall's early days the town board members were constantly asked 
by the townspeople for some fire protection. The farmers kept after 
them to supply a place to water their horses when they came to town. 
So, a need for a water system was realized. Unsuccessfully the board 
members tried to bond the town, two or three times a bond issue was 
defeated by the voters. At one town board meeting only two members 
showed up, Dr. G. W. Mills, and Bill Jones. They talked about the water 
problem for a while, then kidding, Dr. Mills said - "Let's dig a well 
in my back yard". Early the next morning (4 a.m.) these two men marked 
off a 12 foot circle and started to dig. They soon had an onlooker, Mr. 
Miller, who kidded them and told them they were crazy. Next morning 
with three or four others, Mr. Miller was back to hoot and joke with 
the two workers. On the third morning several men showed up with picks 
and shovels to help, and before long they had so many workers they were 
digging in three, eight hour shifts. The women brought lunch at mid-
point of each shift. All the labor was donated and the people in town 
who were unable to Work, hired someone to work for them. Everyone 
helped.

	Mr. Schone made a derrick and pulley from a barrel so that the 
dirt could be brought to the top.

	They dug a hole 75 feet deep and 12 feet across - all by hand. 
(This is approximately the same size as a Minuteman silo). The curbing 
was built at the top and sunk into the hole. The well was done, and it 
filled to within twenty feet of the top. The curbing was made of Black 
Hills pine, which made the water taste and not good to drink, but at 
least the town had some sort of fire protection.

	By the time the reservoir was built, there was a great deal of 
enthusiasm for a water system. The town board called another election, 
to bond the town for $20,000.00. The vote carried -- 90% in favor. It 
was then the town built the present water tower and dam.

	Everyone in town donated to the building of the reservoir -- they 
wanted water. At the bond election, 90% of the people were in favor of 
bonding the town for a needed water system. Not until they dug the 75 
foot hole were they ready to o.k. a bond election.