A newspaper photo of an undated post card with the title, “Coming Home From School – Gratz, Pennsylvania.” The photo accompanied a feature article in the Citizen-Standard, Valley View, on June 29, 1990.
Information was supposedly taken from the Gratz Sesquicentennial Book and also provided from the records of the Gratz Historical Society. The article contains several errors of fact as well as some unproven statements, so care should be taken when quoting sections on in using information therein without independently verifying it.
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GRATZ HISTORY INVOLVES MANY PRESTIGIOUS MEN
Gratz, Dauphin County, is among the nicest of the small communities in Upper Dauphin County. A quiet town with only a few major businesses, it has existed since 1805. Its history is one involving some prestigious men and, like many local towns, was somewhat influenced by the coal industry.
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Founder
Simon Gratz, the founder of Gratz, was the son of Michael Gratz and Miriam Simon. Both his parents were from very successful families.
Michael and Miriam lived on Fourth Street in Philadelphia. An article in the Century Magazine of September 1882 recalled that “the Gratz family mansion in Philadelphia was known far and wide as the home of a refined and elegant hospitality. Gifted and distinguished guests, illustrious statesman [sic], and eminent persons from abroad found there.”
Michael and Miriam were the parents of twelve children in all. Michael in later years became an invalid, and eventually turned everything over to his sons, with Simon being the manager. Simon Gratz, one of seven sons, was born on January 14, 1773.
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Simon Gratz’s Relation to “Gratztown”
Simon Gratz was “adopted” by Aaron Levy at some point in his younger life. Mr. Levy had business associations with the Gratz and Simon families over the years. He may have taken a special liking to Simon Gratz, or perhaps he wanted the “son” relationship since he had no children of his own.
Mr. Levy was a well-known wealthy Philadelphia merchant with a background and lifestyle very similar to that of the Gratz family. He settled in Sunbury during the 1770s, and also served in the Militia during the Revolutionary War. His well-known accomplishment is the fact that he is the founder of Aaronsburg in Centre County. He laid out that town in 1786, He had many other land holdings and received the warrant for “Wild Cat Hill” in Upper Paxton Township (now Lykens Township), Dauphin County on August 3, 1772. By his will probated on March 1, 1815, he bequeathed to Simon Gratz all his land, lots, real estate, etc., along with his monies and personal estate. However, Simon Gratz received the “Wild Cat Hill” tract on July 9, 1911.
Simon Gratz, did in fact, in 1805, lay out the town of Gratz on the 325 acres known as Wild Cat Hill. Much thought was given to the layout of the town. The lots were uniform in size being 50 feet by 200 feet except for those bordering on what is called the grass plot. Those were 50 feet by 190 feet. A document found in Dauphin County Court House describes in detail his objectives. He was farsighted enough to realize a right of way would become necessary for the “right and privilege of introducing the water of the neighboring springs or streams to the said town and its inhabitants and for the purpose of digging trenches in and along the said streets, passages and alleys, and laying therein pipes of conduit and erecting fountains and other devices as they may see fit.” This document was dated September 11, 1829.
Simon Gratz had other interests in this area. He received a patent for three hundred acres of coal land on Short Mountain. In partnership with Henry Sheaffer of Halifax, he became the first producer of nationally known Lykens Valley Coal.
Naturally, their market was limited to supplying the sparse population of those days in the immediate area. Transportation to distant points was non-existent. But they were men of high caliber and wider vision. Realizing that they had a fortune literally underfoot, they had used their influence with the General Assembly to have an act passed on April 7, 1930, permitting the formation of a company to lay out a railroad between the Gap and Millersburg, from which point the coal could be ferried across the Susquehanna and shipped to the large markets via the Pennsylvania Canal.
Simon Gratz died on July 14, 1839, and did not live to see the present day railroad. It is noteworthy, however, that ten years after his death his remaining friends on the board of directors still held him in such high esteem that they named their second locomotive, a 25 “tonner,” the “Simon Gratz.”
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Two Sons
Two of the sons of Simon Gratz were prominent in this area. After his father’s death in 1839, Theodore Gratz, the third son, who inherited considerable property in Gratz, took up his residence here. It was he who built the large brick home on the corner of Market and Pine Streets, which is now the property of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schoffstall. He, like his father before him, had large interests in the coal industry, which made him quite prosperous.
Theodore was held in such high esteem not only in Gratz but over a large area that he was elected to the House of Representatives at Harrisburg for the 1846-1847 term. On the incorporation of the town on April 3, 1852, he was elected its first Chief Burgess. He died in Gratz in 1863 at the age of 52.
The other son of Simon who had interests in the vicinity was Edward Gratz, the eldest son, who cast his lot on the other side of Short Mountain, although he, too, had large interests in Gratz and vicinity. It was Edward who laid out the town of Lykens in 1848 on a tract of 180 acres which his father had bought at a sheriff’s sale in 1835. He died in 1869.
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Gratz and Lykens Township in 1875
Gratz in 1875 contained three general stores, two boot and shoe stores, two cabinet makers’ establishments, a tannery, one harness shop, two blacksmiths, two hotels, and two restaurants. It also had two churches, and one common school, graded into two departments. The various trades and some of the professions were fully represented. According to the census of 1870, Gratz had a population of 386. In 1875, it was estimated at 500,
The population of Lykens Township according to the census of 1870, was 1,246, of which 1,235 were native born and eleven foreign, 1,245 whites and one colored.
The history of the discovery and subsequent mining of coal forms one of the most important features of the wealth and commercial worth of the county.
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Other Notable Persons
Conrad Fry came to this area about 1815, and first became an inn keeper in a tavern in Klingerstown. He stayed there only briefly.
A new license was issued to Conrad Fry in 1816, that was the year he established the tavern on lot number 32, the present site of the Fuzzy Bunny in Gratz.
Conrad Fry not only was the inn keeper, but he also owned the property. The building was a large two-story log weather boarded structure, and it was painted white. He established a very thriving business from its very beginning, despite the fact that there was keen competition (there were usually two other taverns open for business in Gratz during those years). This tavern housed many weary travelers as well as providing food and drinks. Mr. Fry also incorporated a store and post office into his tavern. He was in fact the first postmaster in Gratz, beginning in 1829. Mr. Fry continued in all of his enterprises until his death in 1830.
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Leonard Reedy the Gunsmith
Leonard Reedy was one of the very early settlers to arrive in Gratz. He was here as early as 1818, but the exact time of his arrival has not been learned. He purchased lot number 27 from Simon Gratz soon after his arrival, built a house, and remained in that residence until his death.
One thing is certain, he wasted not time in becoming involved in the activities of the town. On December 29 of that year [1818], he was commissioned as a Justice of the Peace, and served in that capacity until his death.
Along with his work as a justice, he continued his work in gunsmithing. From the time he came to Gratz, until his death, Reedy made 48 guns of various types and qualities according to the records in his accounting books. Some of them have survived, and today they are housed in private collections as well as in those of museums.
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History of Gratz Fair
A petition was made to the County Court for a charter on December 15, 1873. That marked the beginning of the Gratz Driving Park and Agricultural Society. It was the parent of a long lived organization that is known as the Gratz Fair Association.
For several years after the organization of the fair, profits were not exactly exciting. The next few seasons continued to show slight profits. There unexpected setbacks caused by unforeseen events. One of them was the terrible storm that hit in December 1891. It destroyed all the stables and sheds of the fairgrounds. By 1903, the directors began to look for other means of income, and in 1906, they decided to rent out some of the grounds to surrounding farmers. The farmers were allowed to turn the land into grass fields to be harvested into hay. It was the only crop permitted to be raised on the land.
in 1907, a discouraged board decided to sell the fairgrounds, and the asking price was set at $2,000. At a public sale held on April 18, 1908, the grounds were offered but the highest bid of $1,700 was rejected. It was decided to sell the grounds privately, or cut up the land into building lots and then offer at public sale.
A new group of stockholders met at the Union House (Fuzzy Bunny) in Gratz on May 2, 1908, to consider the purchase of the grounds. About a week later, the committee signed a purchase agreement for the $2,000 price, and a whole new team was in charge with Harry Smith as the president.
Under the direction of Mr. Smith, the Gratz Fair had a new lease on life. A new variety of amusements were introduced, and more emphasis was placed on horse racing. The fair has since survived and has grown tremendously.
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.