The land on which Gratz Borough is presently situated was originally warranteed to Aaron Levy (1742-1815). His will, written on 18 June 1802, was probated on 1 March 1815, less than a week after his death. Many of Levy’s personal effects were left to members of the Gratz family of Philadelphia, with whom he was closely associated in business. However, all his lands were left to Simon Gratz (1773-1839), who he referred to in the will as his “adopted son.”
It is not known for certain when Simon Gratz actually laid out or platted the town of Gratz. In many older histories, the date is given as 1805, ten years before Simon Gratz took possession of the lands per the terms of the will. There are no records of sale of any of the Gratz lots prior to 1815 nor any record of anyone homesteading withing the present area of the original Gratz plat prior to 1815, and according to information presented in a Gratz history published in 1997, the plat was not filed in Dauphin County until 1829.
Here following is a transcript of the will of Simon Levy as probated on March 1, 1815.
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1815. THE WILL OF AARON LEVY, GENTLEMAN, PROBATED. HIS BEQUESTS TO HYMAN, JOSEPH, JACOB, BENJAMIN, SARAH, RACHEL, AND REBECCA GRATZ, FANNY ETTING, RICHEA HAYS, AND TO HIS “ADOPTED DON, SIMON GRATZ.” (March 1, 1815)
In the name of the God of Israel, Amen. I, Aaron Levy of the City of Philadelphia, Gentleman, being of sound mind, memory and understanding, have thought fit to make, and hereby declare is done without any bias, or through any persuasion of any person, whatsoever, and with the full consent of my beloved wife Rachel, to wit: First, I give and bequeath unto my respected friend, Charles Hale, Esquire, of Sunbury, my walking cane with agate head, and my silver snuff box which I promised to leave him.
Item – I give and bequeath unto my said wife the use f all my household goods and kitchen furniture of every description, all my plate, beds, bedding, linens and woolens and all things purchased for family use to hold to her for and during all the time of her natural life. Moreover, I give unto her, my said wife, an annuity or yearly sum of $900.00 in four like and equal amounts of $225 each, in each and every year during term of her natural life, the first payment to be made three months after the day of my decease, and to be paid to her by my adopted son, Simon Gratz, of the City of Philadelphia, merchant, and to be charged and payable on my Estate as hereinafter mentioned.
Item – From and immediately after the decease of my wife, give to my adopted son, Simon Gratz, my silver coffee pot and large tankard; to his brother Hyman Gratz, my silver tureen and silver waiter and my timepiece. To Fanny Etting, my silver tea pot and caddy. To Joseph Gratz, my mahogany bookcase, my capt and jeweled watch and two silver half pint tankards. To Jacob Gratz, all my English books except prayer books. To Benjamin Gratz, all my Hebrew and English Prayer Books. To Sarah Gratz, my silver sauce bowls and my silver slop bowl. To Rebecca Gratz, my gilt and silver oval sugar bowl with lid, and gilt and silver bowl without lid. To Rachel Gratz, my silver sugar bowl with pineapple, cream jug and soup ladle. To Richea Hays, my silver fruit basket, and to the said Simon Gratz, my miniature and the miniature of my wife, if she, my said wife, should not otherwise dispose of said miniatures.
Item – I give, devise and bequeath unto my said adopted son, Simon Gratz, all my messuages, lots of ground, lands, tenements, hereditaments and real estate whatsover, and wheresoever the same may situate, and also all the rest, residue and remnant of my monies, goods and chattels, rights or credits and personal estate whatsoever, to hold to him the said Simon Gratz, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, forever subject nevertheless to payment of $900 yearly to my wife, etc. I do hereby nominate and appoint my frtiend, Frederick Bates, Executor of this my last will and testament, etc. etc.
My hand and seal 28th day of June, 1802.
AARON LEVY (Seal)
Witnesses:
ANDREW LEINAU
ABRAHAM STEIN
PHILIP J. DUNN
Admitted to probate March 1st, 1815
[- A.J.H.S., No. 2; “Aaron Levy. By Mrs. Isabella H. Rosenbach and Abraham S. Wolf Rosenbach.”]
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Note: Rachel [Franks] Levy, the wife of Aaron Levy, died on 23 December 1810, in Philadelphia, and therefore the provisions of the will which directed quarterly support payments to her did apply to Simon Gratz.
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The will was included in the 1916 book edited by William Vincent Byars, B & M Gratz, Merchants in Philadelphia, 1754-1798, published in Jefferson City, Missouri, by the Hugh Stephens Printing Company, pages 281-282. It is available as a free download from Google.
The portrait of Aaron Levy is from Findagrave.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.