1. Date of the tax list   2. Names of the land owners   3. Who lives on the land   4. Improved, unimproved tracts   5. Lots   6. Buildings   7. Livestock   8. Mills   9. Other items   10. Owner's income   11. Special tax

Real Property Tax List

Column Headings

Improved, unimproved lots the size of improved tracts in acres the value of improved tracts in dollars the size of unimproved tracts in acres the value of unimproved tracts in dollars

Lots the number of improved town lots or parts of lots the value of improved town lots in dollars the number of unimproved town lots or parts of lots the actual lot number of the unimproved lot the value of unimproved town lots

Buildings number of brick or stone houses on the property number of log or frame houses on the property number of brick or stone barns or stables on the property number of log or frame barns or stables on the property

Livestock number of horses, mares and geldings at least four years old on the property value of the horses, mares, and geldings in dollars number of cattle on the property value of the cattle in dollars

Mills type of mill on the property whether the mill is brick or stone whether the mill is log or frame value of the mill in dollars

Other items number of furnaces on the property value of furnaces in dollars number of forges on the property value of forges in dollars number of foundries on the property value of foundries in dollars number of distilleries on the property value of distilleries in dollars number of breweries on the property value of breweries in dollars number of tanyards on the property value of tanyards in dollars number of ferries on the property value of ferries on the property

Owners income value or annual income of the trade, occupation or profession name of the office or post of profit of the property owner value of annual income of the office or post of profit value of all other taxable real property in dollars

Special tax name of the trade, occupation, or profession with an annual income of $200 or more total annual income above $200 from a trade, occupation, or profession name of the office or post of profit with an annual income of $200 or more total annual income above $200 from an office or post of profit What type of tax and what year passed the state legislature

Real Property Tax List

Real property tax lists contain a variety of information about the land a person owned, where the land was located, and what the land was used for. Real property tax lists name people who owned land, without regard to gender or age.

Real property tax lists sometimes include information about who originally had the land surveyed, and to whom it was originally granted. The original grantee, if not the ancestor, may be related, possibly through a marriage.

If an ancestor owned land, real property tax lists are the best way to find out what the ancestor did for a living.

Sometimes a state passed a special tax for a year or more. In the example, the state is taxing all income above $200 for the year.

Most real property tax lists are maintained both in the county where they were made and in a state office, so these records often survive in counties where the courthouse was burned. Most real property tax lists have not been abstracted and indexed. Some land tax records have been microfilmed and can be found at the LDS Family History library, its local Family History Centers, and in the genealogy collections of private, local, state, and university libraries throughout the country.

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