SUMMERS COUNTY W.Va. (Hinton News) – There are two parts to this collection of history that tie it together; it is not just local history, but personal family history to me. The lady you see here is my Great Great Great Grandmother Frances Virginia “Fanny” Smith Meadows. I purchased this antique photo from my Great Uncle Buck Thompson’s estate auction last October in Union.
Frances was born on May 21, 1843, and died on February 19, 1903, at age 59. She was L.W. Thompson, whom I have mentioned in several of my pieces in the last 2 years, was his mother-in-law. I have been delving more into my Thompson genealogy since acquiring this.
Now, as for the early Summers County tax receipts, you see. About 15 years ago, my great-great-cousin Gene Wallace “Wilkie,” as we all always called him, brought them to me and some other family pieces. He came down from OH to visit my Granddad Thompson, his first cousin, and just happened to bring me these things because he knew how much I loved history.
Summers County was formed in 1871. These tax receipts are some of the easiest artifacts from the county I have ever seen personally. The receipts date from 1877,1878, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1889,1890,1891 1893,1894,1895, 1896, 1887, 1899, 1900, and 1901. W. S. Lilly was the sheriff of the county at that time.
It is interesting to note that in the oldest receipt from 1871, the “personal property” tax was .88 cents. Which would have the spending power of $27.14 in 2025. State tax was $1.27 and is the equivalent of $39.19 today. The county tax was .84 cents, which would be $25.92 in today’s prices. $2.90 was the total tax for 1871, which equates to $89.48 in 2025.
I will admit that I have so much in my collection that I never put 2 and 2 together until I was trying to think of something to write this week’s piece about. I must get my collecting, “hoarding” as my family calls it, from this side of my family. Ha. Because you would have thought that in 148 years someone would have thrown them away. I am glad they didn’t, so they could become part of my collection. And end up in the garbage on donated to Goodwill when I am gone, Ha.
