Did You Pay Your Dow Tax, Bartender?

From the beginning of Ohio's statehood, saloon owners were charged an annual fee for doing business.  Eventually, the Dow tax was passed, a somewhat controversial law that kept increasing annual saloon fees in the hopes, for those supporting the temperance stance, that small saloon keepers would be driven out and respectable neighborhoods would be just that.  Some wanted saloon owners to pay $1000 a year because of the problems some citizens thought they created in society.

However, in 1888, the Dow tax was $250 a year per saloon, with the state getting $50, the township $150, and the county poor fund, $50.  In 1896, the tax was raised again to $350 a year, which could be paid in several installments, with 3/10 going to the state, 1/2 to the township, and 1/5 to the county poor.
(By 1906, the Dow tax finally did hit $1000 per saloon.)

The list of saloon owners who paid the tax was usually published in the newspaper.  This is a list from 1898.

Defiance Democrat - July, 1898

 
"PAID THE DOW TAX

The following saloonists of Defiance county have paid the semi-annual installment of the Dow tax this spring.  The total amount paid by them foots up $5595.15.  

August C. Helzer ................................Sherwood

Ross Armbel.......................................Brunersburg

Cincinnati Liquor Company..................Defiance

John Clemens....................................Defiance

Napoleon Cunningham....................... Defiance

George Daoust..................................Mark Center

John Duseberg.................................. Defiance

James Flanagan................................ Defiance

Hen Grosalls..................................... Defiance

Heller & Johns................................... Sherwood

Hughes & Seibel................................ Defiance

John Hepler, Jr................................... Defiance

Henry Kirshner................................... Defiance

Frank Kahl......................................... Defiance

D. W. King & Co................................. Defiance

Wm. Kesselmeyer.............................. Defiance

Edward Kissner.................................. Defiance

L. M. Locker....................................... Defiance

John H. Luken.................................... Defiance

James Lafountain............................... Defiance

W. R. Maag........................................ Defiance

A. J. Maag......................................... Defiance

W. L. Myers....................................... Defiance

Joseph A. Riegel................................ Defiance

Geo. B. Sly........................................ Defiance

Michael Streit..................................... Defiance

Jos. St. Amant................................... Defiance

Mrs. Ellen Starr................................... Defiance

Schlembach Bros............................... Defiance

John Widmer & Son........................... Defiance

Michael Zeigler................................... Defiance

Barbara Goldnetz.............................. Defiance