A Neighborly Note from 1895: When Taxes Told a Story

“Last year you Paid your Personal Tax and 4.18 on the Fayetteville Dist land and I carried it over for you.”

Pull up a chair, friends, because I’ve found something special tucked away in the archives today. It’s a simple slip of lined paper from June 19th, 1895, but it feels like a handshake across time. Sheriff E. G. Hinman of Fayette County sat down in his office in Fayetteville, W. Va., to write a quick note to Mr. Laban Gwinn over in Prince. It’s a humble piece of mail about taxes, yet it speaks volumes about the ties that bound our community together over a century ago.

The letter is a receipt for exactly $16.88. Now, that might not sound like much today, but back then, every penny counted. Sheriff Hinman carefully breaks down where that money went—some for personal property taxes in the Fayetteville District and a few dollars for land over in Quinnimont. What I love most is how the Sheriff mentions he “carried it over” for Mr. Gwinn from a balance in 1893. It wasn’t just bureaucracy; it was neighbors working things out and looking after one another.

Holding this document today is a real treat. The paper has turned that lovely, warm shade of yellow that only comes with age, and you can still see the crisp fold lines from when it was tucked into an envelope long ago. The handwriting is a beautiful, flowing cursive in dark ink, written on the official letterhead of the Sheriff’s office. It is in remarkably good condition, preserving the elegant penmanship of a time when every letter was a deliberate act of connection.

When we look at this old paper, we aren’t just looking at a tax bill. We’re looking at the daily lives of the people who built our towns. It reminds us that while the tools change—we use emails and bank transfers now instead of hand-written receipts and deputy visits—the basic fabric of our lives remains the same. We still look out for each other, we still manage our homes, and we still value a job well done and a debt settled. It’s a small, precious bridge to our past.

Original Transcription

E. G. HINMAN,
SHERIFF OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
FAYETTEVILLE, W. VA.

C. C. HARRIS,
J. M. KOONTZ.
DEPUTIES

June 19th 1895

Mr Laban Gwinn
Prince

Dear Sir,
Yours of to day containing 16.88 is recd & I enclose tax tickets.
Your Personal Property tax in Fayetteville Dist was all paid to Mr Harris and 8.68 on the land leaving due 5.83
The 12 1/4 acres in Quinnimont Dist is 2.10
Last year you Paid your Personal Tax and 4.18 on the Fayetteville Dist land and I carried it over for you. Bal on 1893 tax is 8.95
Total $16.88

Yours Truly
E G Hinman