The Great Delinquency: Snohomish’s 1878 Tax Auction
A sprawling list of property seizures offers a rare window into the instability of early Snohomish settlers, who faced total loss of their homesteads for debts as small as twenty-two cents.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In and by virtue of a tax list and warrant signed by the Auditor of Snohomish County, Washington Territory, to me directed and delivered, I will sell at public auction at my office in Snohomish City, W. T., on Monday, the 1st day of April, 1878, commencing at 10 o'clock a.m., the following described property, unless the same be redeemed by the owners or their agents. The same being levied upon for delinquent taxes for the year 1876, and for taxes due on lands previously sold to this county for taxes. J. D. Morgan, Treasurer of Snohomish County, W. T. The list details hundreds of parcels, including the homesteads of early settlers. For instance, George Bacher faced the sale of 160 acres for $11.55; Henry Bowman’s interests were listed for $13.15; and even modest town lots in Snohomish City, such as those held by G. H. Hall, were put up for auction for debts as low as 22 cents. The auction encompassed a vast swathe of the territory, reflecting the thin financial margins of those attempting to cultivate the rugged Snohomish landscape.
“The same being levied upon for delinquent taxes for the year 1876, and for taxes due on lands previously sold to this county for taxes.”
Today, Snohomish is a sought-after suburb where property values have skyrocketed, but in 1878, land was fragile and fleeting. This list of 'delinquent' properties shows that for early settlers, the dream of homesteading was constantly threatened by the crushing reality of tax debt, proving that housing instability has been a defining feature of the region since its founding.
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