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Welcome to

Dunham Township

107 Airport Rd
Harvard, IL 60033

Our site will offer you information and happenings for the township you call home.

Welcome Back

The township board and employees would like to welcome the students and instructors of Free Guitars for Future Stars to our Township. The students will be taking guitar lessons in the township's meeting room once a week.

Meeting Dates

Township Monthly Meeting Dates for 2025 are as follows: 1/14, 2/11, 3/11, 4/8, 5/13, 6/10, 7/8, 8/12, 9/9, 10/14, 11/11, and 12/9. The April meeting will consist of the budget hearings and annual meeting which will start at 6:00 pm. The monthly meetings are the second Tuesday of each month.

Thoughts

No Act of Kindness, No Matter How Small is Ever Wasted. Aesop




Thank you to the active and retired military personnel for what they have sacrificed for our country. TRULY GRATEFUL.


Visit your local tree farm to find this years Christmas tree, garland and or wreath. Enjoy the winter season arriving soon. Wishing all a very Happy Holiday Season.

History of Dunham Township

The founding name of the township was Byron. When a post office was established, it was discovered that there was another Byron in the state. The name was changed to Dunham to honor Solomon J. Dunham, he was the Justice of the Peace.

A schoolhouse was built in Dunham Township in the year of 1839 in June. It was a log cabin structure that was built on the Jerome Farm. Miss Helen Diggins taught the students. The log cabin was also used as a church and a political meeting place.

The first settler to arrive in the county was in Dunham Township. Abraham Carmack arrived in 1831. He came from New England via the Great Lakes Region, landed in Milwaukee and traveled to the Dunham area.

One of the many cheese factories/creameries was located at Dunham Road and Route 23.

Central and Southern most part of the township was wet and marshy. Rush Creek was believed to be named after the bull rushes and cattails growing in the marshes, the area it flowed thru. Another idea was that the creek could have been named for Charles Rush. He was a farmer who farmed the Southwest edge of the Town of Alden. It was the starting point of the creek.

Around 1901 Farmers figured out the low areas of Dunham Township could be a good area for crops if the area could be drained. The farmers organized the South Island Drainage District and Rush Creek Drainage District. The year of 1910, a dredging machine was hauled into the area. Rush Creek was deepened and was straightened in Dunham Township from the Northeast to the Southwest. The South Island Drainage District had tile made of red clay, which was produced in Marengo, Illinois.

The township is known as an Island area because the settlers of early days would build their farmsteads on the islands between the marshes.

As far back as 1870, sheep raising was the largest industry for the township. It was believed at that time the land was better for sheep raising than grain. The 1870's were harsh for sheep farmers with many dog attacks to their herds.

The first purebred horses were brought into the township, then any part of the county. They were Norman horses, but in later years they were renamed to Percherons.

The first cemetery existed between 1841-1842, near the Jerome log schoolhouse. Mount Auburn was in existence in 1870's.

A cyclone was recorded in the township on May 18, 1883. Damaged many barns and livestock were lost. On April 21,1967 a tornado damaged the Southwest part of the township.

The Harvard Area 1829-1976 First Edition Harvard Bicentennial Committee.

If anyone has more knowledge of the history of Dunham Township, please contact us.

Thank you in advance. Have a nice day.

News

The City of Harvard renewed the contract with MDC Environmental Services. Residents can continue to place 1 bulk item (furniture/ mattress) out each week.  Additional Service: which you can place one of each out each week:

White Goods (large appliance such as dryer and washer, etc.)*

E Waste (all electronics including tv’s and monitors)*

*For the two additional services you must call MDC in advance, then another truck can be dispatched to pick up the items.
Call 815-568-7274.

2025 City of Harvard Water bills are due on: 2/6, 4/3, 6/5, 8/7, 10/2, 12/4


McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission
Service Information…
Financial Assistance, Transportation Service, Outreach Education, Client Outreach, Partner Services, VA Claims & Advocacy. More information, please call 815-334-4229.


Senate Bill 1862
Strengthening of Scott’s Law

This Bill covers more workers and enhances penalties. Now stationary authorized vehicles with oscillating lights, first responders, IDOT workers, law enforcement officers and individual authorized to be on the highway within the premise of their employment duties. Please be watchful as traveling!!

Information

Did you know that the McHenry County Sheriff offers a crime mapping application on their website? www.mchenrysheriff.org This application will keep you informed of recent crime in your area. You can also sign up for Nixle thru their website.


An app is available titled MCHELP. The app can be downloaded thru I Tunes and Google Play. Immediate access to professional crisis counselors via text messaging, for teens. This program is confidential and anonymous. It is provided by The McHenry County Community Foundation.


A McHenry Aware app was released by The McHenry County Emergency Management. This app features local weather alerts, road conditions, emergency information, an event calendar, etc. The app is available thru the Apple App store or Google play store. For more info visit www.mchenryaware.com