The present name, adopted in 1870, is after Vice-Admiral Peter Tordenskjold, a Danish-Norwegian naval hero during the Great Northern War.

[3] As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 550 people, 217 households, and 170 families living in the township.

The racial makeup of the township was 98.73% White, 0.18% Native American, 0.18% Asian, and 0.91% from two or more races.

There were 217 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were married couples living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families.

18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.