To Us: 1787 More Than Signing Constitution

Happy Signing Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Yes, signing the Constitution was "cool" on 17 Sep 1787. It also honors all U.S. citizens, whether native-born or naturalized, and promotes understanding of the Constitution's role in American democracy.

Yes, signing the Constitution was "cool" on 17 Sept of that year. But this year has a lot of significance to genealogical researchers. It's also the year that saved the day for reconstructing lost early records, especially, in VA. I often choose to show this process using VA, because the 1790 census are not available. 

Ok...I'm sure this is confusing but there was a Virginia "census" (actually a Tax List) in 1787, not a federal or state census. It was actually a compilation of personal property lists from the 1780s, often called the 1787 Census of Virginia by genealogists.

Did you know?

familysearch.org

The 1787 "Virginia Census" isn’t just a headcount, it’s a treasure for genealogists! This is great news since the 1790 Census were destroyed presumably in the War of 1812. The 1787 Virginia Census lists households, taxable property, and enslaved people, offering a snapshot of families between the Revolution and the first U.S. Census of 1790.  For researchers, it bridges a critical gap, helping trace ancestors, land ownership, and community ties in early Virginia. Although I'm talking VA here, this technique can be used to reconstruct other lost census records. 

Outline of the information that can be extracted:

• Names/~Ages White Males:
  Names of white males over 21 years of age and white males between 16 and 21 years old.
• Slave Population:
  
  Information on the number of slaves; regardless of age (over or under age of 16).
• Livestock and Carriages:
  
  Listings of horses, cattle, and carriages.
• Tavern Keepers:
  
  Names of individuals who held tavern licenses

Most women were left out of the 1787 Virginia “census” (tax lists). But widows or unmarried women who headed households could appear! For example, “Widow Johnson” was listed as a taxpayer in Mecklenburg County. These rare entries are golden clues for tracing female ancestors in early Virginia because white females were never considered tithables themselves (i.e., taxed as a tithable person). But if they were head of household (widows or unmarried), or owned taxable property, their names show up as the “person chargeable.”

In some cases Virginia's “Personal Property Tax Lists” (beginning 1782‐) named female heads of households.

Case Study: How to Use these Records
The following is a sample case study to understand what can be uncovered. Let's see if you can duplicate these results, or try it on your own ancestor. And, it doesn't have to be Virginia. 

Virginia. Court Records 

Happy Signing Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

Promises and Pitfalls of Oral History

  Evening Star, Oct 08, 1881 ·Page 3

Keep Oral History in Perspective
After posting our podcast, Tell Me A Story Program, we had lots of questions on the accuracy, reliability, and/or storytellers' liberal remembrances. So we thought we should make sure our readers and listeners keep oral history in perspective.

Every family has that one storyteller. Maybe it’s your grandmother at the kitchen table, weaving tales about “the old country.” Or an uncle who swears he remembers a long-lost cousin who “headed west and struck it rich.” These voices pull us in. They don’t just hand us names and dates; they hand us a heartbeat. That’s the magic of oral history for genealogists and family historians.

But, like every treasure, oral history comes with its cracks.

Why We Treasure Stories

The Waynesburg Republican

Think back to the first time you heard a family story that made you lean in closer. Maybe it was about a soldier who never came home, a farm washed away in a flood, or an ancestor who could “cure a fever with nothing but herbs.” These stories paint pictures no census record ever could. They give us personality, emotion, and a glimpse of who our people really were.

For communities whose histories weren’t always written down, oral tradition was often the only way to keep memories alive. Without those stories, whole chapters of our shared past might have vanished.

And let’s be honest: sometimes oral history gives us the breadcrumb trail we need. A half-remembered name, the mention of a town, or the memory of a neighbor can open the door to records we’d never have thought to search. 

But Stories Have Shadows

The trouble is, memory is slippery. Ask three siblings about the same childhood event, and you’ll likely get three different stories. Dates blur. Names shift. Sometimes tales grow taller with each retelling, passed down like a family heirloom polished until it barely resembles the original.

And then there’s silence.

The Sun, Feb 15, 1880 ·Page 3

Families often leave certain things unsaid. Topics like illegitimacy, lost children, mental illness, or conflicts are often swept under the rug. What we don’t hear in oral history can be just as telling as what we do.

The hardest part? Once a storyteller passes, those memories go with them. Unless we’ve taken the time to record, transcribe, or preserve the stories, the voices fade. That’s a loss we can’t recover.

How We Can Honor the Stories

So what do we do, as family historians? We listen carefully, but we also question kindly. We record, not just on paper, but with our phones, with audio or video, so future generations hear the voices themselves. We ask open-ended questions: “Tell me what it was like…” instead of “Was it 1937 or 1938?”

And we remember that oral history is a guide, not a guarantee. It’s the spark that leads us to deeds, obituaries, or immigration records where we can confirm, or sometimes correct the information with facts proven by data.

A Final Word

Oral history is like sitting by the fire with your ancestors. It warms, it illuminates, and sometimes it even crackles with surprises. It doesn’t replace the paper trail, but it makes the trail worth following.

So, next time you’re at a family gathering, lean in. Ask the questions. Capture the laughter, the tears, the pauses. Because someday, someone will thank you for preserving not just the facts—but the voices behind them.

Measles & More: Researching Disease (1657-1963)

Reported by USA and Canadian Outlets: Polio (with vaccine) vs Measles in USA, 1958 - 1959

Tracing measles isn’t just about death; it’s uncovering how the disease shaped family decisions, movements, and emotional legacies. 

1. Did Measles Appear on a Death Certificate?

2. Were There Local Epidemics That Affected My Family?

3. Were Multiple Children Died within a Short Time from One Another?

4. Were Local Institutions Affected by Measles? (asylum, orphanage, military barrack, etc)

5. Did the family move to avoid an epidemic?

Measles Are Back,  Cases in 2025

Note: For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024.

1657 - 1963: They Died from Measles
Some believe tracking measles is new.  It isn’t! It has been tracked for over a century. In American colonial records, the word “measles” appears by the 17th century. Early U.S. medical writings from the late 1700s and early 1800s refer to measles by name, especially in the context of smallpox and scarlet fever as childhood illnesses. Researchers will also see “rubeola.”

The first recorded epidemic of measles in what would become the United States occurred in 1657 in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was described in colonial diaries and town records. This was among the earliest documented community outbreaks of measles in North America.

Before federal tracking, disease statistics were local or state-led.

Washington (D.C.) Gazette, Jul 19, 1823

Cities like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia began keeping vital statistics in the mid-to-late 1800s, mostly focused on deaths. Some State Boards of Health (like Massachusetts in 1869) published reports mentioning outbreaks

1912. The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) formed from the Marine Hospital Service, began requiring state and city health departments to report weekly data on ten communicable diseases, including measles. This marked the start of national infectious disease surveillance in the United States. 

By 1912, over 30 states participated in reporting to the Weekly Morbidity Reports, later known as the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Measles was responsible for 6,063 deaths in registration states the first year of 1912. This information was found in the Vital Statistics of the United States, 1912;" published by the Bureau of the Census;" published by the Bureau of the Census. This annual report includes mortality tables by cause of death  By 1933, all states were included in national death statistics.

11 Diseases reported in 1912 on the Ancestors

1. Measles
2. Smallpox
3. Typhoid fever
4. Diphtheria
5. Tuberculosis
6. Scarlet fever
7. Pertussis (whooping cough)
8. Poliomyelitis
9. Meningitis
10. Cholera
11. Influenza (1918)

Across the Pond: England. The USA was late. England had begun reporting the statistics of this disease as early as 1895. 

The Weekly Standard and Express, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, 16 Jun 1900

 In 1962, 408 children in the USA died of measles.  This was the year before the vaccine. 

 The Daily Democrat, May 08, 1965

1963. The measles vaccine was licensed in the U.S. in 1963. There was a national campaign to stop the deaths; 

    

Figure 2 The Daily Democrat, May 08, 1965, Lamar, MO

2000. By the year 2000, measles was declared eliminated (no continuous transmission) in the U.S., though outbreaks have occurred due to imported cases and vaccine hesitancy.

7 Resources for Measles Research

1. Coroner records
2. Death certificates
3. Obituaries printed in local newspapers,
4. Journals / Diaries,
5. Doctor notes that allow us to identify not only epidemics but also which of our ancestors died from Measles Check out State Archives for historical medical records
6. 1880 Federal Census, "Sick" column; confirmed by one of the above
7. 1850 -1880 Mortality Schedules. I will write later how these records can also be used for researching enslaved persons

1870 Plaquemines, Louisianam Mulatto, Des Roches Family

These schedules listed those who had died in the year preceding the census. There were also some state censuses in 1885 that included mortality schedules, specifically in Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota

Communicable diseases aren't reported as a grouping in the Federal Census, but researchers may uncover 1880 Federal Census "Sick" notes. 

1880 United States Federal Census, Kentucky

Sisters: Chella and Lydia Smith

Researchers may also find their ancestors listed in the 1850 or 1860 Mortality Schedules. 

 

After 28 days, Larkin Smith succumbed to Measles, 1850 Bledsoe, TN

Today, if not yet defunded, infectious disease epidemics in the U.S. are reported through a multi-level system involving local, state, and federal public health agencies, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the national level. Historical reports for the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Archives go back to 1912. The archives of Mortality Statistics may assist with analyzing epidemics in your ancestor's town / city. 

 

Stop them Mid-Sentence
When you are told that there is  no way to know how many died of measles in the past, I hope these easily accessible CDC reports come to mind: Visit the MMWR Weekly Reports Archive CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Archives

Mortality Statistics, 1914

7 Steps to Black Hawk Street

Across America, there are streets named after Presidents, prominent figures, soldiers, wars, notable Native Americans, etc. Street names echo the values, fears, and headlines of the people who put them there. Street names are threads connecting towns to broader national events. 

We may never know whether the street name was meant as a warning, a memorial, or even a reluctant gesture of respect. But rarely was it just random. 

Tracing Early Footsteps

1868 Platte Deed of Black Hawk Street
 Platte. Deeds 1866–1870

Tucked into the riverfront hills of Weston, Missouri, Black Hawk Street winds quietly through town, steeped in the kind of history that rarely makes headlines but is never quite forgotten. While the street is familiar to locals today, the origin of its name has long puzzled historians. Why “Black Hawk”? Who named it? And what stories were they trying to preserve—or perhaps bury?

7 Tips to Tracing Street Names 

1) Determine when was the town platted, settled, or squatted?

BLM GLO, 1840

Land was being settled as early as 1837, just after the Platte Purchase of 1836 made the land legally available for U.S. settlement. The Military Reserve was set aside in 1838. The original survey, above, for the entire Platte was in 1840. The survey was from 1 Oct 1839 to 24 Jun 1840.

2) Uncover the first use of the street name. 
In Weston, I was able to pull an 1843 land deed. This was about six years after the town was purchased.

See below for the notes of the official survey of land, which concluded 22 Jul 1843. Survey of land.

1843

3) Locate old local maps and city formation within the state.

Black Hawk Street isn’t just an old name on a map. It’s a thread connecting Weston to broader national events: the Indian wars, the opening of new territories, and the cultural shifts that shaped Missouri. 

Image: https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/mainstreet/id/9/rec/1

4) Review Local and National News 
Was the name of your street of interest at the time?  Remember, it's not random, not an accident, there's a tie. Always a time. check out the contemporary Presidents, prominent figures, soldiers, wars, notable Native Americans. 

In our example, it really was Black Hawk that raised our interest. 

Who was Black Hawk? 
Black Hawk (1767–1838) was a war leader of the Sauk tribe, best known for leading resistance during the Black Hawk War of 1832 in present-day Illinois and Wisconsin. Though defeated, Black Hawk became a legendary figure in American frontier history. 

Given the timing, it’s likely that Weston settlers, freshly arrived after the Platte Purchase came in from Illinois and Wisconsin. Black Hawk's legend was still circulating widely in newspapers, books, and military lore when the Platte was purchased. Black Hawk died in 1838. 

5) Don't Forget the Territories

1838 - 1842 Territorial Map

Why is it that people forget that before states, there were colonies or territories? The information you are looking for may be in the Territorial collections usually found in the State Archives. Researchers must be familiar with the territory and state formations.

For example, If I'm wanting to research my Sauk Tribe Leader, Black Hawk, I have to cover the Iowa territory. It is borders Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. It was Black Hawk territory! He even died in 1838, the southeastern Iowa Territory on the Des Moines River.

6) State Archives and Bureau of Land Management

You aren't just looking for your street name. Be sure to expand your search. The early platted state required clearing of the land, selling the land for distribution, surveyor notes, and early town plans. 

Keep in mind that surveyors may not have been from the area.  In the case of Weston, MO, the survey was for the entire Platte was out of St Louis. (Surveyors Office) 

7) Pull deeds with the name of the street you are researching. I use Familysearch AI to quickly extract those.  In doing so, I understood why Black Hawk name was not solid on the earlier plats.  It was officially called Buckeye Street. 

"Buckeye Street or as better known and called Black Hawk Street"

Here's another example from an 1867 deed

 West side of Buckeye Street or Blackhawk . Street thence

More must be learned in this case. It is not known whyy Buckeye was also called Buchanan. It appears that it continued to Blackhawk St. 

...side of Buchanan or Buckeye street ( Black Hawk Continued)

Next Step

Research the connection to Buchanan St, Buckeye Street or Black Hawk Street. 

This is far from a brickwall unless all of your available resources have been scoured. 

Sources:

• Missouri Digital Heritage. Main Street Weston Collection. Link

• Platte County Deeds, 1866–1870. FamilySearch

• Platte County Deeds, 1892. FamilySearch

More Resources
5 Resources to Tracing Missouri Territorial Ancestors

Read more about Weston:
In June 2025 we highlighted Weston, MO. WESTON – CELEBRATING 175 YEARS!
Juneteenth - What Are You Celebrating?

Taxing Sunlight and Fresh Air? The Window Tax

Hening's Statutes at Large, Volume 10: Virginia, FHL 007940049, It #2, pg 280

During the American Revolution, Virginia faced financial pressure to support its war efforts against Britain. To meet these demands, the General Assembly enacted a series of taxes in 1781. One such tax was a tax on glass windows. Yes, sunlight became a commodity. Well, sunlight and fresh air!

The proposed tax on windows vs. a "real estate" tax in Virginia to recover the funding deficit from the Revolutionary War.

This emergency homeowners' tax was based on the number of windows in their houses. (Hening’s Statutes, vol. 10, p. 280.) It was to last three years, and it only counted windows with glass, which eliminated the lowest economic cohort that would likely have had only shutters because they couldn’t afford glass. Here’s the Virginia law: 

“A tax or rate of one shilling for every glass window shall be paid by the proprietor of each inhabited house within the commonwealth in the month of September 1781, and so on in each of the three next succeeding years.” The law goes on to list other taxes, calling them “urgent necessities of this commonwealth” due to the war.

Keep in mind, we were a newly formed nation in need of recovering from the costly war, so many states actually considered the Window Tax, but quickly squashed the idea because it was an England-based tax. Even the Virginia law was quickly appealed, before ever really reaching the implementation stage. 

Origin of This Tax - England? 

England Implementation of Window Tax

The Window Tax was a property tax introduced in England and Wales in 1696 (later extended to Scotland in 1748) under the reign of King William III. It taxed homeowners based on the number of windows in a building. The purpose was essentially a way to tax wealth indirectly—larger homes with more windows suggested greater wealth.

The 1798 Tax in the Colonies
However, there were later successful attempts in the USA to fund the War with France. In 1798, we know the real estate tax in America was based on windows, and Pennsylvanians were not happy about it. Listen here as Julie explains: 

 

Full Podcast: Unraveling Forensic Genealogy With Juli Whittaker

What You May Find

Pennsylvania, U.S., U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 for William Scarlitt

• Name of the property owner or occupant

• Description of buildings (number of stories, materials)

• Number of windows and total property value

• Acreage and land valuation

• Sometimes even names of tenants or neighbor

Where to Find Records 
Use keywords: “1798 direct tax” + [State or County]

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 

Pittsburgh

, 

Pittsburgh

, 

4 Feb 1941

, 

Page 23

1. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
   Locate  original federal tax lists, assessment rolls, and schedules for many counties
2.  FamilySearch.org
    Digitized 1798 tax records for some states.
3. Ancestry.com
   “Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills” or “U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798”
   Indexed and digitized tax lists, especially for Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
4. State Archives and Historical Societies
   I have had good luck finding these records in these states: 
   Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State Archives
   Massachusetts: Massachusetts Archives
   Virginia: Library of Virginia
   
5. Library of Congress
   Federal tax documents, historical maps, and district valuations are accessible.
6. Reference Books
   The 1798 Federal Direct Tax: Pennsylvania and the Fries Rebellion"

Even later, though, this tax was not favored and quickly repealed with the help of a small insurrectionist against the U.S. Government led by John Fries, PA.

Fries's Rebellion led German-American farmers in eastern Pennsylvania to resist the tax. They viewed it as a violation of their rights. Although Fries was convicted of treason in 1799 - 1800, and was sentenced to death, President Adams issued a pardon. 

Aurora General Advertiser, Wed, Feb 13, 1805 ·Page 2

My thoughts go to the lyrics of one of Hamilton's songs (the musical): 

This financial plan is an outrageous demand

And it’s too many [darn] pages for any man to understand

Stand with me in the land of the free

And pray to God we never see Hamilton’s candidacy

Look, when Britain taxed our tea, we got frisky
Imagine what gon’ happen when you try to tax our whisky.

 Perhaps it should have said windows!

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Tax Records and Genealogy

Georgia Commercial Tax Digest and Directory, 1851, ancestry.com 

What Can Tax Records Add to Your Elusive Ancestor's Story?
Using Tax Lists for genealogy is not new.  We even run into them on Ancestry for our ancestors. But it appears to be an underutilized tool. Perhaps, we don't know the depth of information hidden in these rather simple taxes. Plus, applied taxes were not uniform, so for every ancestor, you needed to know the laws of the time in "that" locale. 

• Place of residency and location based on years can fill in the census gaps. Tax lists provide exact locations, including townships or counties, year by year. In areas where census or church records are missing, tax rolls may be the only surviving documentation placing your ancestor in a time and place.
• Economic Status & Property Ownership. We must corroborate data to prove we are tracing the same person with a common name (ie, Ann McMahan, John Smith, Samuel Thompson). What is an easier way to do this than proving property ownership via descriptions? Tax records provide a rough outline for our research plan. Often, tax records list land acreage, number of livestock, slaves (in the South), or household goods that can be cross-referenced by agricultural records and proven in tax records. It also gives insights into your ancestor's wealth or social class and may distinguish the planter Samuel Thompson from the small farm renter of the same name.
• Uncovering Age Hints.  In colonial and early American communities, tax lists often show militia service, civic roles, or jury duty by association. A poll tax list may indicate those eligible for voting or military service, which often provides an age range. Following tax lists year to year may pinpoint when a son became of age. 
  The "tick mark census records paired with tax records, can assist in identifying children, specifically males in the household. It may also prove or disprove a suggestion that multiple families were living in the same house. I love analyzing poll taxes for this purpose. 
• Family Connections. Families often appear together or near one another on tax rolls, helping you link relatives or identify neighbors who may be kin by marriage or association. It can also identify or suggest your ancestor's religion based on the community they settled in or their migratory path. As we analyze tax records annually, changes over the years (e.g., son replacing father on tax lists) can hint at deaths, inheritance, or generational shifts.
  
• Occupation or Trade. Some taxing records specify types of property or licenses (like mills, taverns, or distilleries), shedding light on how your ancestor earned a living.

6 Types of Tax Records
(but there are more!)

Tax Checklist for a3Genealogy

Recently, Heather Jenkins, a guest on Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen, the brickwall genealogy podcast, gave listeners an overview with examples of how she uncovers information in tax records. So let's talk about the ones she covered. She suggests you begin with the following: 

1. Poll taxes
2. Land taxes
3. Property taxes

Colonial Times' Taxing Practices. For Colonial Times, you will want to check out the local jurisdiction at that time. I find poll taxes very useful, especially in colonial times. Prior to the USA stripping women of voting rights, women were able to vote in early colonial times. Here's a blog post that discusses this: Genealogy Hints on Poll Tax & Voter Registration Docs, 5 Nov 2024

      4. Colonial Personal Property Tax Records, 1782 - 1786
      5. Tithable Taxes and Rent Rolls pre 1782.

1760 Memorandum List of Tithables

    6. Excise Tax: Again, this tax was since colonial times.

Podcast: Heather Jenkins mentioned billiard tables,

ancestry.com, Connecticut, U.S., Excise Tax Lists, 1865-1874 for Elite Billiard Rm.

We know about the molasses, rum, and sugar in the Sugar Act of 1764. It also included alcohol (Whiskey Rebellion, PA 1794), tobacco, luxury items like salt, and carriages. We can even see billiard tables, as Heather mentioned on the podcast! (FHL #007846292)

Billiard Tables, FamilyHistory

We see what is deemed luxury and taxed later: playing cards, cosmetics, gunpowder, etc. Imported goods from India and Europe were also taxed. We also see luxury taxes placed on playing cards, cosmetics, and gunpowder.

You may uncover Excise Tax lists from online databases (familysearch.org, ancestry.com, or fold3), but these records may also be found in the NARA (RG5 8), State Archives, and Historical Societies. And don't forget the Library of Congress.

Unfamiliar and need a primer?
Here are a few great information articles:

• Using Early Tax List for Genealogy in KY, VA, and TN
  (If you see broken links, just let me know.) 
• Historical Tax List at Ancestry Family History Learning Hub

Researchers may also see "Rent-Rolls." Even within a colony, tithables were not consistent. Some included free African Americans householders, others did not; some colonies used the head of household, but others used different criteria. Tithables per colony, and even within the colonies, were not applied uniformly. Here are a few resources:

Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892
Pennsylvania, U.S., Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801
Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895
Ohio, U.S., Tax Records, 1800-1850