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Tax records offer genealogists a treasure trove of information beyond just confirming where ancestors lived, revealing financial circumstances, family relationships, and even marriage dates.

• Heather Jenkins, president of the Johnson County Genealogical Society and Heartland chapter of APG, specializes in tax record research
• Tax records connect to all aspects of life including birth, death, marriage, and property ownership
• The 1798 "window tax" led homeowners to brick up windows and redesign staircases to avoid taxation
• Bachelor's tax or "unmarried tax" lists can help determine marriage dates when ancestors disappear from these rolls
• Examining tax records can reveal an ancestor's true financial status, often showing apparent wealth hiding significant debt
• Tax records may list estates under executors' names rather than the deceased's surname
• Research brick walls are often in the researcher's methodology, not in the data itself
• Creating specific research plans for tax records helps target the most relevant repositories and sources

Find Heather Jenkins at: https://balancedgenealogy.com

Email your genealogical questions to HittintheBricks@gmail.com

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Hittin' the Bricks is produced through the not-for-profit, 501c3 TracingAncestors.org.