[2] In 1855, Thomas Wall's father came to Oshkosh and joined other industrialists in establishing the local lumber industry.

Wall, who by 1928 had held positions as president of the Commercial National Bank of Oshkosh, and board member of multiple lumber companies left the house.

[2][4] The house began to deteriorate, and by the 1990s, the university planned to demolish it due to “termite infestation and bad drinking water”.

The committee eventually secured the funds to update the residence as well as make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Thomas R. Wall Residence remains as one of the few examples of architecture from the early lumber mill period in Oshkosh.