From Trygg Historical Maps, Trygg Land Office, Ely, MN www.trygglandoffice.com/maps.html b=bottom land, m=marsh, p=prairie, s=swamp

Basic Facts: Township 133N, Range 38W Government survey 1871 First Settled 18?? Organized Feb 25, 1881

History

[Copied by Lory Brasel, lbrasel@leagent.net, from the book "History of Otter Tail County" Volume I - 1916 by John W. Mason]

Folden township was organized by the county commissioners on February 24, 1881, in response to a petition signed by a majority of the legal voters of congressional township 132, range 38. The election of the first township officials took place at the house of Ole Larson on the 14th of the following month. The original petition of the voters asking for the organization of the township is not on file with the records of the county commissioners. It has been ascertained, however, that the early settlers included John A. Aldrich, David Noonan, W. M. Conklin, Theodore Thompson, B. P. Johnson, Julius Langnus, Kleber B. Wilkinson, R. R. Wilkinson, Frank Wheeler, Emil Syverson, Martin Oleson, Frank J. Barta, Lars Anderson, Martin Peterson, Johann Larson, Arnt Munson, Hans Nelson, Roland Haagenson, Ole Larson, G. Gesler, Olaf Haagen, G. A. Kallack, C. N. Restad, Erik Larson, Albert Thomas and S. I. Hensing.

No village, no postoffice and not even a lake of respectable size is to be found within the limits of this township. When it was organized in 1881 nearly one-half of it was still owned by the railroads while both school sections, 16 and 36, were still owned by the state. Gradually the railroads disposed of their holdings and today they own only a few hundred acres in the township.

The branch line of the Northern Pacific runs across the northwestern corner of the township through sections 5 and 6, but there is no station stop in the township. The town hall is in the southwestern corner of section 15.