Gratz, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gratz, Kentucky
City
Location of Gratz in Owen County, Kentucky.
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Owen
Named for	the grandson of Sen. John Brown
Area
• Total	0.35 sq mi (0.91 km2)
• Land	0.35 sq mi (0.90 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	528 ft (161 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	67
• Density	192.53/sq mi (74.25/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	40327
Area code(s)	502
FIPS code	21-32428
GNIS feature ID	2403728

Gratz is a small city in Owen County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is a "home rule-class city," which means it has the power to manage its own local affairs. In 2020, the population of Gratz was 67 people. The city is named after Benjamin Gratz Brown, whose grandfather, John Brown, was a U.S. Senator.

History of Gratz

The city of Gratz was first planned in 1847. It was built on land believed to belong to the family of Senator John Brown. The city was likely named after his grandson, B. Gratz Brown. Benjamin Gratz Brown later became a senator and governor for the state of Missouri. He also ran for Vice President in 1872 but did not win.

The town officially became a city in either 1861 or 1881.

Gratz as a Trading Hub

Before a system of locks and dams was built on the Kentucky River, Gratz was a very busy and successful town. This was because people had to carry goods around a part of the river that boats could not pass through. This process is called portaging. Lock #2, which helps boats navigate the river, is located just upstream from Gratz.

Goods were also moved across the river by ferry. From there, they were taken along KY 22 to Pleasureville. Pleasureville had a train station, making it easy to transport goods further.

Life in Early Gratz

The streets in Gratz are laid out in a neat grid pattern. The town has a local bank and many large, well-built houses. Before public electricity was available, a diesel generator powered the streetlights. These lights would shine from dusk until about 10 p.m. An old operator of this generator shared that he learned exactly how much fuel to use so the engine would stop at the right time, saving him a trip.

The Gratz Bridge

Gratz is home to the only bridge that connects Owen and Henry counties across the Kentucky River. The original Gratz Bridge was a historic iron and steel bridge built in 1931. This old bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.

Work on a new concrete bridge was completed in 2011. The old Gratz Bridge was taken down in February of that year. A piece of the old bridge was saved and used in a special display. This display is located at the site of the old Gratz entrance to the bridge.

Gratz Post Office and Its Women Postmasters

A local post office first opened in Gratz on November 21, 1844. It was called "Clay Lick" because it was located above Clay Lick Creek. Joseph W. Rowlett was the first Postmaster until July 20, 1850.

The post office was renamed "Gratz" in February 1851. This happened after the town itself was named for Benjamin Gratz Brown.

Women Leading the Post Office

Seventy years after the post office opened, history was made in Gratz. Ida M. Johnson became the first woman postmaster for the Gratz branch. She held this important job for 10 years, from April 2, 1914, to April 2, 1924.

Another important period began in 1927. Martha B. Suter served as Gratz postmaster for a record 33 years! She held the position from May 24, 1927, until September 30, 1960. After Martha Suter, another woman, Charlsey Virginia Stamper Goodrich, took over. Goodrich was postmaster for 23 years, from September 30, 1960, until April 2, 1983.

Then, Teresa A. Webster became the Gratz postmaster. She served from April 2, 1983, until February 6, 1990. At that time, the Gratz post office stopped its operations after 146 years. This meant that for 63 years in a row (from 1927 to 1990), a woman led the Gratz post office. This was a great achievement for the Gratz community.

If you include Ida M. Johnson's 10 years, with only a three-year break, women led the Gratz post office for 73 of its 146 years. There was also a short time when Roberta G. Minish served as Acting Postmaster. This was from December 21, 1927, to January 18, 1928, while Ms. Suter was away.

In total, five women served as Gratz Postmaster: Ida M. Johnson, Martha B. Suter (with Roberta G. Minish as 'Acting' temporarily), Charlsey Stamper Goodrich, and Teresa A. Webster. When the Gratz post office closed in February 1990, all mail services were taken over by the Owenton city post office.

Geography of Gratz

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Gratz covers a total area of about 0.3 square miles (0.9 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population and Demographics

As of the census in 2000, there were 89 people living in Gratz. These people lived in 35 households, and 24 of these were families. The population density was about 255.8 people per square mile. There were 43 housing units in the city.

Age Distribution

The population in Gratz was spread out by age. About 24.7% of the people were under 18 years old. About 13.5% were between 18 and 24 years old. The largest group, 30.3%, was between 25 and 44 years old. About 20.2% were between 45 and 64 years old. Finally, 11.2% of the population was 65 years of age or older. The average age in the city was 33 years.

See also

In Spanish: Gratz (Kentucky) para niños