NOTICE is hereby given that the following lands lying in Charlemont belonging to non-residents in said town are taxed in the year 1781 & 1782 as follows viz.
Joseph Baker, State tax 1781, in silver 6s 3d---town tax, 1 l. 10d 2q---State tax, 1782 silver 6s 3d---town tax 5s 4d.

David Hillshouse, 1781, Continental tax, 20 l.---town tax, 22 l. 10s---State tax, 10 l. 15s---State tax, silver, 12s. 6d. ditto 13s 4d---town tax, silver, 3 l: 9d. ditto 10s 8d.

Unless said Taxes are paid on or before the 30th of July next, so much of said lands will be sold at Public Vendue, at the house of Col Othineil Taylor, innholder in said Charlemont on said day, at two o'clock afternoon, as will pay said taxes and intervening charges.

SETH TEMPLE, Constable.
Charlemont, May 15, 1787.
(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.

label levels:

When real estate taxes on a piece of land were not paid, the town where the land was located was permitted to advertise it to potential buyers. Anyone who paid the taxes and accrued interest could take over ownership of the land. In the years following the Revolution, many Americans invested in real estate for themselves and their children. During the severe post-war recession, many people defaulted on the taxes due on these parcels. Like many other towns, when Charlemont advertised unpaid real estate taxes 1787, it advertised only the land of people who did not live in town. It is likely, however, that many homeowners also struggled to pay the taxes on their homes and land. Hard currency was extremely difficult to get, and the government demanded that taxes be paid only in gold or silver.

top of page