New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-02-14
fCATED.
x ASSESSMENTS.

tY ASSESSMENTS.
interesting subject of tax
che recent revival of the
3xAds me to present the fol-
facts.
HE year 1910, Frank D. An
q former resident of New Brit
but now Of Vineland, n j., pub
ed a pamphlet entitled Names of
keldents of New Britain, Connecti-
& in the Year 1899 Who Paid Taxes
18th the Amount of Their List A
ppy Of this pamphlet may be seen at
lie Institute Library.
RXS The total amount Of their lists was
S$22,713.S3. The three highest tax
payers were: Oliver Stanley, $685.;
Cad Stanley, s544.46, and Elnathan
Smith, s504.27. The assessments for
the year 1900 are recorded in the
Berlin Land Records, Vol 2, and show
that Cad Stanley's list was increased
$500, making it $639.66, the highest
on the 1900 list, besides having had
the title of "Esqr." added to his name,
a title which applied in the 1893 list
to James North alone while in 1900
it was given to Selah Heart, Esqr., as
we'll as to Stanley and North. The
second highest assessment was that of
Levi Andrews, his list having been in
creased from $440.58 to $505.S9, while
James North's list was increased from
$344.23 to $403.43, his being the third
highest. There is nothing in the An
dreWs pamphlet or in the Berlin rec
ords which clearly indicates whether
the figures given are on the grand list,
or the amount Of the tax to be paid.
In Camps History of New Britain, the
amount set to the name Of Levi An
drews is called "a grand list which
is probably correct.
Cad Stanley, Esqr., lived on the
present Stanley farm in Stanley Quar-
ter, where Levi Andrews was also liv-
ing on the present Andrews farm.
James North, Esqr, was a com bined
farmer and manufacturer and lived on
the east side of Franklin square. A
list of New Britain taxpayers for the
year 1872 is published in Andrews
Genealogical and Ecclesiastical His
tory Of New Britain, page rs. At that
time, Nathan Booth was the richest
man in the place and Left Cad Stan
ley' second, his list being only five
snillings less than that Of Booth. 1t
thus appears that Cad Stanley, in the
year 1900, had been one Of the richest
men in New Britain for p years. In
1900 his list included II head of cat
tie, horses [ brass wheel clock, 1
silver watch fireplaces and 294 acres
of land, and yet, there was n OF a car
riage wagon, cart or house in his list,
unless the eight fireplaoes designate a
house or houses 1t does not appear
on the face of his assessme nt that
S639.66 was an exorbitant value for
the property recited in his list.
One hundred and eighteen years
have wrought some changes in New
Britain property, as is evidenced by
: our present grand list of over fifty
two million dollars and the old grand
! list of less than twenty-three thou
| sand dollars, or by the individual as
! sessment on the Horace Booth estate
! Of over three hundred and ninety
! seven thousand dollars and by Cad
/ Stanleys list of less than six hundred
! and forty dollars. In the year 1900
, there we're four open carriages and
! two top carriages in New Britain. Also
! six brass wheel clocks, II wooden
: wheel clocks and 1 4 silver Watches
There was not an automobile in the
list, but there were 1913 horses, SEEM
ingly a sufficient number to draw the
/ six carriages we then had. Our pop
! ulation at that time was 436 males,
! sos females and four blacks, making
total of 946 persons.
JAMES SHEPARD.