The man after whom Dorr Township was named, Governor Thomas Wilson Dorr, had a dramatically colorful record in the annals of American history, serving a jail sentence from which he was later acquitted by a Supreme Court decision. It appears that Governor Dorr was an unsung hero in the cause of free suffrage for everyone age 21 or over. It was this reason that the citizens paid tribute to Dorr, a man who gave his freedom and good name in the cause of free elections for all legal-age citizens.

Dorr Township is one of seventeen townships in McHenry County. It covers portions of Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Lakewood and Bull Valley. Dorr Township covers 34 1/2 miles of road.

The Dorr Township census from 1850 reported 1139 residents. In 1860 the township had grown to a population of 2387. 106 years later, in 1966, there were 9910 township residents. Census 2000 shows an 83.2% increase in the 34 year period since 1966, reporting a population of 18,157.

Dorr Township has been in its present location since 1978. It's previous location was in the Odd Fellows Building on East Jackson. The building was demolished to make room for the expansion of the State Bank of Woodstock in 1983.

The Highway Department is located at 12322 Davis Road. The property was purchased in 1974 and building followed shortly. Its previous site was on Route 47 near McConnell Road, which currently houses a motorcycle shop.