Dorr Township History

*Early History

Original Survey
In 1826, Deputy United States Surveyor Lucius Lyon traced the north, east, and western borders, and finished the southern border in the spring of 1831. The township was divided into 36 sections.

Governmental History
On March 16, 1847, the township of Dorr was created by an act by the State of Michigan, reading:

          "Section 2, That townships three and four north, of range number twelve west,
           in the county of Allegan, be and the same are hereby set off from the township
           of Watson and organized into a separate township by the name of Dorr, and
           the first township meeting therein shall be held at the school-house, in school-
           district number three, in said township."

The Naming of Dorr
The township was named after Thomas Wilson Dorr, an attorney from Rhode Island, who was elected governor in 1842 by reformers under their People's Constitution. This caused much turmoil and Dorr fled in exile. He surrendered in 1843 and was found guilty of treason against the state. For more information on this topic, visit the State of Rhode Island History on the web.

First Township Election
Held April 5, 1847 at the school-house in district No. 3 with 14 votes polled electing the following:

Organizing Members William H. Warner, Chairman John Parsons, Clerk	Jonathan O. Round, Inspector of Election Edward Moore, Inspector of Election

Elected Officials John Parsons, Supervisor William H. Warner, Treasurer Orrin Goodspeed, Highway Comm. Erastus Congdon, Highway Comm. Jonathan Brewer, Highway Comm. Orrin Goodspeed, Constable John Parsons, Constable Jason Baker, Constable Jonathan O. Round, Constable Overseers of Highways Jonathan O. Round, District No.1 John Parsons, District No. 3	Jonathon O. Round, Clerk Edward Moore, School Inspector William H. Warner, School Inspector William H. Warner, Dir. of the Poor Harvey N. Baker, Dir. of the Poor William H. Warner, Justice of the Peace Edward Moore, Justice of the Peace Harvey N. Baker, Justice of the Peace Jonathan Brewer, District No. 2 Edward Moore, District No. 4
Other Business "To raise $150 for township expenses. To raise $250 for highway purposes, and $15 for wolf-bounties. To pay $3 for each wolf killed in the township. That for school purposes, fifty cents be raised on each child in the township between the age of four and eighteen years. That Timothy J. Crampton's barn-yard be the Pound, and William H. Warner serve as pound-master. That the next township meeting be held at the house of Timothy J. Crampton."

After a settlement with Watson, Dorr received $439.31 of the highway fund and 56 library volumes valued at $28.63. Taxes collected of $76.60 during the year ending April 1, 1848 were disbursed as follows:
     $62.01...................paid to township officials
     $ 3.97....................paid to school district No.1
     $ 8.78....................paid to school district No. 2
     $ 1.84....................paid to school district No. 4

On December 29, 1852 the Allegan County board of supervisors set off from Dorr township No. 3 north, of range No. 12 west, which was organized into Hopkins Township.

Click here for a list of Township Officers from 1848 to the present.

Land Entries and Settlements

In the summer of 1835 the land in Dorr township was made available for public sale. The following is an alphabetical list of purchasers with the section number and date purchased.

Averill, David R.	9	March 1853
Ball, Ballard	36	December 1836
Barnes, George W.	36	February 1836
Barrett, Reuben	17	May 23, 1836
Bartholomew, Cyrenus	2	1845
Bartlett, Samuel M.	17	July 1836
Bartz, Jacob	7	November 1852
Boltwood & Sweetster	31	1836
Brace, George	30	January 1836
Brown, Timothy	8	December 1851
Camp, Ira	36	February 1837
Camp, Samuel	19 - 30	Jan. 1856 & Jan. 1836
Clymer, William B. (Bucks Co. PA)	21	December 1836
Coggeshall, Charles H.	3 - 11	December 1845
Comstock, Charles C.	36	March 1854
Cotton, Almerin L.	31	August 31, 1835
Culver, Wm. H.	12	September 1846
Dile, David S. & Barnes, Isaac	27	January 1836
Ewing, James	17 - 18	March 1854
Floyd, William E.	1	October 1845
Goodspeed, Nathaniel	1 - 2	September 1845
Gould, Jame E.	12	October 1845
Green, William P.	18	July 1836
Griswold, Zenas L.	6	November 7, 1836
Hillman, Isaiah (Lewis Co. NY)	26	December 1836
Hills, Putnam	19	November 1854
Hoy, C. and A.M.	2 - 13 - 14	October 1845
Hubbard, Samuel	31 - 32 - 33	October 1835
Jackson, John	2	1845
Jones, Samuel C.	25	May 1847
Kellogg, John R.	20 - 21 - 28	January 1836
Ketcham, Emerson	35	March 1853
Luce, Elihu	13 - 14	November 1845
Miller, Daniel B.	27	July 1836
Moon, Samuel	36	December 1836
Moore, Edward	1 - 2	October 1845
Moore, Wm. R.	11	October 1845
Morrill, Marshall (Sandusky, OH)	5	1848
Patch, Benjamin	24	November 1845
Peck, Hooker & Co. (Jefferson Co., NY)	26	December 1836
Pettibone, Lyman	28	February 1837
Pettibone, Samuel	17	May 23, 1836
Rice, George C.	1	October 1845
Rummett, F.	16	February 1855
Sessions, Rodney C.	4	1850
Sherwood, Hull	31	August 31, 1835
Snow, Cyrus	3 - 11	November 1845
Snow, Erastus B.	2 - 14	1845
Snow, Ira G.	3	1845
Stoddard, Goodwin	20 - 28	July 1836
Throop, Enos T.	15	July 1847
Truax, Benjamin	34	September 2, 1852
VanMan, Harry	1 - 3 - 22 - 23	June 2, 1845
Wells, Marshall M.	3, 10	December 1845
Wendell, Cornelius	29 - 30	January 1836
Williams, Dennis	13	October 1845
Williams, Josiah	12	October 1845
Wright, Sylvester	33	February 4, 1837

*Acknowledgements
    Names and facts are from the book History of Allegan and Barry Counties, Michigan 1880
    published in 1880, Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Reproduced by Unigraphic, Inc. 1975
    This book is available for check out at the Dorr Township Library.

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