The first settler in Toad Lake Township was Herman Griffnow, who first came into the township on the 30th day of October, 1887, and took a homestead on the northwest quarter of Section 28. He built a house on this land that fall, which was tile first built in the township. Five more settlers came into the township that same fall and took homesteads: John Neske on Section 26, Edward Reitz on Section 26, Chris Reitz on Section 22, Antoine Pretz and William Worst on Section 28.

In the spring of 1888 John Detrich Glander, Sr., and Detrich Glander, Jr., took homesteads on Section 18, and Henry Glander settled on Section 8 and is now living on Section 20. About the same time, August Anderson took a homestead on Section 28. Anderson is a son-in-law of J. D. Glander, Sr., and Mrs. Anderson and her mother, Mrs. Glander, were the first two white women in Toad Lake Township. In the fall of 1888 Wm. Lass took a homestead on Section 20 and Charles Hartkop took a homestead near by, and Henry Drewes took a homestead on the northeast quarter of Section 32. About all the government land in the township was taken up during the next few years. The early settlers of Toad Lake Township were nearly all foreigners, a few of them being Swedes, Norwegians and Finlanders, but a large majority of them were Germans. There have never been many incidents of an exciting character, such as murders, desperate encounters with wild animals or terrible accidents to record, and as the township has only been settled a few years, and the settlers being of a quiet and peaceable disposition, the history of the township will consequently he brief.

Jacob Bakki, who was murdered on Section 19 in the township of Carsonville in the fall of 1888, once owned some land on Section 15 of Toad Lake Township, and lived there for awhile.

Toad Lake Township takes its name from Toad Lake, a fine body of water in the northwestern part of the township, but how the lake came by the name I am unable to say. Toad Mountain, a magnificent elevation on Section 8 on the west side of Toad Lake, is undoubtedly the highest hill in Becker County. There is no other place in the county where so extensive a view of the surrounding country can be obtained as from the summit of Toad Mountain.

Toad Lake Township was organized in the month of January, 1892. The first special election was held at the house of Fred Myers on the 5th day of January, 1892. A list of township officers was made out to be voted for at the annual election, March 8th, when the following officers were elected, being the. first to hold office in the township: Chairman of board of supervisors, Henry Drewes; supervisors, Henry Glander and Frank Oldrig; township clerk, Hiram Harding; treasurer, Herman Griffnow; Hiram Harding justice of the peace and Detrich Glander constable.

The first people married in Toad Lake Township were Wm. Lass and Frida Schroder, who were married on the 9th day of December, 1891. The first birth was that of Anna Lass, daughter of Wm. and Frida Lass, born on the 13th day of October, 1892. The first boy born was John Anderson, son of August Anderson. The first death was that of Frank Oldrig. The first school taught in the township was by Millie Sandborn of Detroit.

August Czernetski located on the southwest quarter of Section 26 in October, 1894. Among the early settlers were Carl Albricht on the northwest quarter of Section 32, Michael Tessman on the southwest quarter of Section 32 and Ole Salmonson on Section 13.