IMH 75:2 195

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Friday, April 15th

To-day was cloudy with raw northwest wind and fine
drizzling rain in the middle of the day for two or three hours.
Father was gone all day to town, to attend a meeting of the
Township Assessors in the Auditor's office I presume. Alvin
was gone all day with the cross-cut saw. He was helping Jake
in a small clearing, which our worthy uncle has under way. I
put in my time in finishing up the clearing, burning, etc. which
Alvin began yesterday. Thanks to the high wind I was
successful. John Kivett was here in the forenoon and put a handle
on his pitch-fork. He also took away the "tater-digger:' The
absent members of the family returned about five o'clock. The
grass is beginning to show a slight greenness and the buds on
the trees are a little bit larger. But Spring seems to be stalled
somewhere with a heavy load of winter weather. Father was up
at Foster's awhile after supper.

Teaching Notes: The entry give evidence that Williams father was the township assessor.
That position was to remain an elected office in nearly all of the 1008 townships in Indiana
in 2009. Thirty township because of their size were given the option of keeping the position.
To date (2017) there are only 13 townships in Indiana that have the position. Those assessing
duties have been assigned to the county assessor. The assessors main function is to determine
the value of houses, outbuildings and businesses for property taxing purposes. Students might
be interested in knowing that in 1881 there was no federal income tax that is due on this
April 15th. The tax was done briefly during the Civil war, but became permanent in 1913....with
the taxing rate of about a 10th of what it is today.