Skip to main content

La Crosse, Wisconsin, Office of the City Assessor, Assessments for the City of La Crosse

 Record Group
Identifier: La Crosse Series 047

Scope and Contents

The City of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was chartered in 1856. This series consists of 18 volumes of property tax assessments, we assume from the City Assessor’s Office, covering the years 1861, 1863, 1865, 1867-1880. There are two volumes for the year 1872. The spine labels read "Assessor’s Roll for ____ [year]."

In the volumes since 1865, there is an alphabetical list of personal property tax assessment due the City, but the amount due is not broken out into what kinds of things a resident was being taxed for. For example, the number of horses or dogs, etc., was oftentimes targeted for personal property taxes, but these assessment types are not recorded, just the amount due is noted. This is sometimes labeled as "Personal Tax."

There is a separate physical volume for each year. Within that volume the assessments are arranged by legal description. The legal description of the property includes the addition, lot and block. In addition to the legal descriptions, after 1865 the owner was also listed. The value of the property is always given.

Dates

  • 1861-1880

Creator

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for patron use.

Extent

6.4 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Property tax assessments arranged chronologically; therein by legal description. The volumes include an alphabetical section of personal property tax assessment since 1865. Exact years covered are 1861, 1863, 1865, 1867-1880.

The assessments contain solely total amounts due and do not separate real estate from improvement assessments, nor do the personal property assessments break out the particulars of what was being taxed. The volumes for 1861 and 1863 do not appear to include all property additions, nor are the property owners necessarily listed.

Acquisitions Information

(Accession no. 1996.004) Assessment volumes were located in the City Clerk’s basement area of City Hall; came to the Archives as part of the Mayor’s Special Committee on Historic Records, Dec. 1996

Related Materials

Missing Title

(La Crosse Series 048)
La Crosse, Wisconsin, Office of the City Clerk, Tax Lists for the City of La Crosse

Physical Description

8 flat boxes

OCLC Number

42450011

Processing Information

Processed by Anita Taylor Doering, May 1997

Title
Guide to the La Crosse, Wisconsin, Office of the City Assessor, Assessments for the City of La Crosse, 1861-1880
Status
Completed
Author
Anita Taylor Doering
Date
1997 May
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the La Crosse Public Library Archives Repository

Contact:
800 Main St.
La Crosse Wisconsin 54601
(608) 789-7136