These tax rolls were transferred from the Kenosha County Treasurer's Office to the Area Research Center of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in December 1976. The rolls for the City of Kenosha begin with 1868 and run consecutively through 1900. After 1900, the rolls are retained for every fifth year: 1905, 1910, etc. In addition to these real estate tax rolls, the volumes include personal property tax rolls for 1889, 1892, 1905, and 1920; and income tax rolls for 1925 and 1926. For the period 1910-1925, the real estate tax rolls are divided into volumes by ward or wards, and thereafter by property parcel number.
The real estate tax rolls for the county, excluding the City of Kenosha, include the towns and villages of Brighton, Bristol, Paris, Pleasant Prairie, Salem, Somers, and Wheatland from 1856; Randall from 1860; Silver Lake from 1930; Twin Lakes from 1940; and Paddock Lake from 1965. Titles appearing on the volumes usually indicate (1) the year, (2) a town name, and (3) a title, “Tax Roll,” but for the early volumes these designations do not accurately reflect the content, since most early volumes contain rolls for towns in addition to the one noted on the volume cover.
Some early volumes are titled “Assessment Rolls,” with no town designation. Assessment rolls contain the name of the property owner, description and location of the property, assessment of value. Tax rolls contain this information along with state, city, town, school and/or special levies, and record of payment.
Tax rolls after 1900, except for years ending in 0 or 5, have been destroyed in accordance with Wisconsin State Statutes.
