Name/Title
LedgerEntry/Object ID
1986.005.0016Scope and Content
1853 Tax Assessor's book kept by E.H. von Pfister, Assessor of City of Benicia.The book has columns for each person's personal property / improvements / lot number / block number / city / and value of real estate. Most people just show the value of their land. There are notes showing if it is a partial lot or if a dwelling has been constructed on the property. The book is organized by owner's name but not sorted alphabetically. (The largest landowners shown are Thomas Larkin and D.R. Wright whose properties take up about 15 pages each in the ledger.)
The back of the book has a "Poll tax" list which shows most citizens paid $3. Near the back are lists of "Persons Vending Liquors" and another list of "Persons Vending Goods" and Restaurants and Hotels. The hotels shown are:
Sawyer
American
Vallejo
St. Charles
Solano
Under Pacific Mail and Steam Ship Co. they list the value of their ships, individually. They are:
Hulk Superior
" Monument
" John Munn
" Annjade
" Grobus
Coal Steamer Origon (Oregon)
" California
" Panama
" Golden Gate
" Northerner
" I.S. Stephens
" Columbia
" Republic
" Isthmus
" Fremont
" Carolina
" Constitution
" Columbus
" Winfield Scott
About 5 pages have been cut out from the front of the book.Collection
Benicia Historical Museum Collection
