Hancock County, Ohio - Chapter 6: Early Appraisement and Assessment of Propertv, 1881

" Don Alonzo Hamlin made his return of assessment of chattle property, and land property subject to taxation in Hancock County, which was examined and accepted, and the said Assessor presented his account for his labor in assessing the property of the county, which was accepted, and which was nineteen dollars and seventy-five cents."

There was but one Assessor in the county, and his duty appears to have been to value both real and personal property. In December of the same year we find this entry: " The xluditor presented his account, and was qualified to the same, ordered that the said Auditor be allowed twelve dollars and twenty-five cents for his services, and that said Auditor be paid the sum of ten dollars for extra services up to and including this day."

In June, 1831, the Commissioners and Auditor, as a Board of Equalization, ordered that the valuation of lot No. 16 be reduced from eighty-five dollars, to forty dollars ; and lot No. 1 was then, as now, occupied by Squire Carlin, as a residence, to be valued at five hundred dollars, including buildings.

information received from Judge Whitely, I learned that Chief Justice Waite had in his possession a copy of the tax list for 1821. I thereupon addressed a letter to the Judge to which I received the following reply:

Toledo, Ohio, July 11, 1881. Dear Sik : - 1 take pleasure in sending you a copy of the pa}»er to whicli Judge Whitely refers. The original is in the oflice of the Auditor of Wood County.

The Amount of tax on each animal was fixed by the Auditor, the tax being a specified sum on each, and not a per cent., as at the present day. No animals under three years of age were taxable. The Township of Findley, it will be recollected, embraced the whole county, at this date.

In 1826. as the Records of Wood County - to which we were then attached - comprising one township - shows that the tax in this county was Fifty-six (Jollars and Sfrenteen cerits. In 1829, the earliest tax list found, after the independent organization of the county, the value of the taxable property of the county, as returned, was sixteen thousand six hundred and one dollars, and included in the then townships of Findley, Delaware and Amonda, the only organized townships in the county, and the assessment included both real and personal property. The tax assessed upon the valuation was one hundred and seventytwo dollars B,nd fort y-foicr cents.

In 1829, there was but four thousand seven hundred and seventy-five acres of land su])ject to taxation in the county, and this was valued at eight thousand one hundred and eighty-six dollars, not more than an average farm is now worth. Of this taxable land, two thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine acres was in Findley ; thirteen hundred and seventy-four in Delaware, and two hundred and fifty-two in Imonda Township. Our Amonda Township friends will perhaps be mortified to know that their lands were valued nuch lower than were the lands in the other townships, aid yet it was no doubt some consolation to know that

In 1820, there was returned by the Assessor 7iinf}/-three horses, valued at three thousand seven hundred and twenty dollars. Two hundred and seventy -nine cattle, valued at three thousand one hundred and sixteen dollars.

In the year 1830, the salary of the County Assessor was fixed at twenty-three dollars and thirty-seven and a half -cents, and that of the Auditor at forty dollars.

The tax levy for 1829 for county purposes, was seven and one half mills on the dollar. For 1830, it was seven mills. For 1831, it was seven mills. For 1832, it was five mills. In 1833, for county purposes, seven and one-quarter mills, and for road purposes, two mills.

In June, 1S31, we find a Record of the County Board of Equalization. Present, John P. Hamilton and Charles McKinuis, Commissioners; Don Alonzo Hamblin, Assessor, and Thos. F. Johnston, Auditor. It was ordered "That Lot 16 (Patterson's Corner), appraised at eighty-five dollars, shall be reduced to forty dollars. That L. & B. Rawson, Physicians income, be two hundred and fifty dollars. That Lot 15, (Newell's Main st.) be entered on the duplicate at forty dollars. That Lot 85, (Commercial House) be enterec' on the duplicate at one hundred dollars. The capital of S <fe P. Carlin, merchants, be entered on the duplicate at ona thousand dollars."

name of John Cambell, with a grist and saw-mill thereon, appraised at twelve hundred dollars, be, by this Board, appraised at nine hundred dollars." (Now Carlin's Mills.)

"Also, that the east half of south-west quarter of Section eleven; Township two South Range eleven, with grist mill, (G. S. Fohl's Mill.) be appraised at five hundred dollars."

"Also, the east half of north-west quarter. Section 12, in the name of S. & P. Carlin, (now a part of the town of Findley,) be appraised at six hundred dollars."

'- Also, that the east part of south-east quarter of fractional Section thirteen, Township one north, Range ten east, in the name of James Gilruth, (now Didway farm,) be appraised at four hundred dollars."

For the present condition of the county as to amount, valuation, assessment and taxation of the property of the county, the reader is referred to the statistical tables in another part of this work. By a comparison of those tables, with the statements made in this chapter, the reader will find that whilst our wealth has increased at a wonderful and gratifying rate, that our taxes have not in the least been slow to accumulate in the same wonderful ratio. Business, wealth, prosperity, security in person and property, cannot be enjoyed in this or any other county without pay. A study of these tables will engage the attention of every tax payer, and very likely more than one will exclaim: " Where does all the money go to." Look around you ; see your public buildings ; your bridges ; your roads, all costing money, for your answer.

ing the value of Real and Personal Property, taxes thereon, and amount of taxes assessed, 1879, inclusive, as prepared by Elijah Barnd, Auditor :