An undated photograph of the Williard Farm, west of the town center of Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The farm consisted of about 63 acres on the Levi Marks tract of more than 308 acres. The date on which this land was obtained from its original owner is unknown but the tract was patented in 1773 and was originally known as “Scant Measure.”
Levi Marks was a wealthy tailor who traveled between shops in Lancaster and Philadelphia outfitting the wealthy families of southeast Pennsylvania. He held the distinction of being the first man of the Jewish faith to join a masonic order. Levi Solomon, who patented the tract to the east, then called “Solomon’s Temple,” was a wealthy shopkeeper in Lancaster; later he moved to Baltimore. Both Levi Marks and Levi Solomon were cousins of Michael Gratz, who was the father of Simon Gratz, after whom the town of Gratz was named. The tract to the east of “Solomon’s Temple,” was patented by Aaron Levy in 1776, and was named “Wild Cat Hill.” This latter property was inherited by Simon Gratz in 1815, and it was on that tract that he laid out the town of Gratz.
The map below shows the relationship of the tree aforementioned tracts, with the Levi Marks Tract highlighted:
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.