Direct Tax of 1798 - Rumford

Source: William Berry Lapham, History of Rumford, Oxford County, Maine: from its first settlement in 1779 to the present time (Augusta Me.: Press of the Maine Farmer, 1890).

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DIRECT TAX OF 1798

In one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, a direct tax was laid upon the real estate of the country by the General Goverment. The tax in Pennecook, now Rumford, was assessed October first of that year. Elijah Livermore of Livermore, was the principal assessor, and his assistants were Nathaniel Perley, William Livermore and Stephen Putnam, the latter known in Pennacook as Stephen Putnam, Jr. Twenty seven houses were taxed in Pennacook, and thirty-seven resident owners of land. The non-resident lands were also taxed. This list as an historical value, as it shows approximately, at least, the number of households at this period. The population was probably made up of twenty-seven families, and ten single men who had bought lots and were making clearings. It will be noticed that Timothy Walker of Concord, and John Stevens' heirs, also of Concord, were large owners of the non-resident lands of the town:

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Names, No. acres, Value Philip Abbot, 500, $800 David Abbot, 200, $500 Jacob Abbot, 420, $720 Osgood Eaton, 100, $400 Benj. Elliot, 180, $480 Jacob Farnum, 200, $480 David Farnum, 300, $600 Benj. Farnum, 400, $550 Joshua Graham, 400, $544 Gustavus A. Goss, 100, $500 Samuel Goss, 100, $350 William Godwin, 200, $420 Robert Hinkson, 100, $350 Abram Howe, 100, $170 Samuel Hinkson, 100, $85 Phineas Howe, 120, $320 James Harper, 300, $480 Moses Kimball, 100, $255 Daniel Knight, 480, 535

Names, No. acres, Value Francis Keyes, 1300, $1450 Benj. Lufkin, 200, $540 John Martin, 580, $735 James McAlister, 100, $200 Edmund Page, 100, $200 Stephen Putnam, 700, $603 Stephen Putnam, Jr., 230, $375 Benj. Rolfe, 487, $600 Henry Rolfe, 300, $385 Jeremiah Richardson, 100, $320 Joshua Ripley, 300, $250 Samuel Stevens, 100, $100 Benj. Sweat, 100, $311 Nathaniel Sanborn, 100, $250 John Taylor, 200, $355 Ebenezer Virgin, 100, $260 John Whittemore, 300, $250 Abel Wheeler, 300, $340

NON-RESIDENT.

Names, No. acres, Value Jeremiah Andrews, 600, $500 Enoch Adams, 300, $250 Joshua Atherton, 300, $250 Increase Dolly, 100, $260 Richard Dolloff, 200, $500 John Chandler, 300, $250 Ephraim Farnum, 300, $250 Benj. Farnum, 300, $250 Moses Gale, 300, $250

Names, No. acres, Value Ezekiel Merrill, 100, $85 Henry Martin, 480, $350 John Martin, 100, $85 Capt. Marsh, 300, 250 Wm. R. Partridge, 100, $123 Heirs of John Stevens, 5260, $4370 Eleazer Twitchell, 300, $250 Col. Timo'y Walker, 6700, $5625