About Us
A fire in 1886 demolished all or most of the original building that was, at one time, a butcher shop on the grounds of an old tavern. At the time of the fire, the Klinger brothers (George and Daniel) had been renting the shop from the Wiest Family, probably using it for general merchandise. In 1889, the store was rebuilt by the Klingers, then later sold to the Miller brothers (Harvey and Daniel) who were nephews of the Klingers. The Millers continued in the store business for 57 years.
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The Gratz Historical Society purchased the building on June 16th, 1986. About three years later, after restoration was completed, the museum was opened to the public. Today, we continue to aim for great things, sharing the stories and history of Gratz with the next generations and ensuring that our past is not forgotten.
Our Story
The Gratz Historical Society was organized and grown in 1977 by a small group of area residents. It has grown considerably since that time into an organization of over 250 members, and became incorporated in 1984. A board of nine officers administers it.
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In 1986, our Society purchased "The Miller Store" which is located on 8-W Market Street, near what was earlier known as "Market Square." The Klinger brothers erected this building for a mercantile business in late 1888. Restoration of the original store has taken on the old look reminiscent of the turn of the last century.