Dorr Township, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorr Township, Michigan
Township
Dorr Township, Michigan Location in Michigan
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Allegan
Area
• Total	36.2 sq mi (93.7 km2)
• Land	36.1 sq mi (93.6 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	699 ft (213 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,922
• Density	219.2/sq mi (84.62/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	49323
Area code(s)	616,269
FIPS code	26-22680
GNIS feature ID	1626186

Dorr Township is a community located in Allegan County, in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a type of local government area called a civil township. In 2020, about 7,922 people lived here.

History of Dorr Township

For a very long time, the land where Dorr Township is now was home to Native American tribes. These tribes spoke Algonquian languages and included the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi people.

The first European-American settlers came to this area in 1845. The main community of Dorr started a bit later, with the first settler arriving in 1856. The town was officially planned out in 1869 and got its own United States Post Office in 1870.

Communities in Dorr Township

Dorr Township has several smaller communities within or near its borders.

Dorr Community

Dorr is a small community that is not officially a city or town. It's located near the center of the township. Its ZIP code is 49323. It is about 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Wayland and 19 miles (31 km) south-southwest of Grand Rapids.

The community was first called "Dorr Centre." It is believed to be named after Thomas Wilson Dorr. He was a state leader in Rhode Island in the 1840s who fought for more people to have the right to vote.

Dorr has four elementary schools:

• Sycamore Elementary, which is part of the Hopkins school district.
• Dorr Elementary, which is part of Wayland Union Schools.
• Saint Stanislaus Catholic School.
• Moline Christian School.

Moline Community

Moline is another small community, located just east of U.S. Highway 131. Its ZIP code is 49335. Most of Moline is in Dorr Township, but some parts extend into nearby Leighton Township.

European Americans first settled in Moline in 1840. The community grew more when the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway built a station there in 1870. Alfred Chapple officially planned out the town in 1872.

North Dorr Hamlet

North Dorr is a very tiny community, sometimes called a hamlet. It sits right on the border between Dorr Township in Allegan County and Byron Township in Kent County. It started around 1865 and had its own post office from 1874 to 1905.

Wayland City

The city of Wayland is located at the southeast corner of Dorr Township, though it is officially in Wayland Township.

Geography of Dorr Township

Dorr Township covers a total area of about 93.7 square kilometers (36.2 square miles). Most of this area, about 93.6 square kilometers (36.1 square miles), is land. Only a small part, about 0.1 square kilometers (0.04 square miles), is water.

Population Changes in Dorr Township

The number of people living in Dorr Township has grown quite a lot over the years:

• In 1960, there were 2,313 people.
• By 1970, the population grew to 3,055.
• In 1980, it reached 5,014 people.
• By 1990, there were 5,453 residents.
• In 2000, the population was 6,579.
• In 2010, it increased to 7,439.
• And in the most recent 2020 census, the population was 7,922.

In 2000, about 33.7% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age of people in the township was 32 years.

Notable People from Dorr Township

Some famous people have connections to Dorr Township:

• Owen Bieber — He was born in North Dorr and later became the president of the United Auto Workers, a big labor union.
• Stubby Overmire — A former professional baseball player who was born in Moline.
• Bob Senneker — A former professional stock car racer who was born in Dorr.

See also

In Spanish: Municipio de Dorr (Míchigan) para niños