Gartner's Gallery is over 126 years old with a rich history
Jacob Gartner and his son Isadore started their business on foot, bringing the dry goods to the people between Hancock and Copper Harbor. The new immigrants arrived here by way of Germany, Ellis Island in 1880, Detroit, and Sault Ste. Marie.
They walked from community to community stopping at every farmhouse in between. They were warmly welcomed because their suitcases were the only dry goods store many families ever saw. Over time, their English and Finnish improved and they became part of the community.
Jacob Gartner and his son Isadore opened Gartner's Department Store at the corner of Tezccuco and Hancock Streets in Hancock, Michigan in 1886. Eventually business grew and a bigger store was secured on Quincy Street.
By March 31, 1900 Jacob Gartner had the largest department store north of Milwaukee. His new store had three floors and a basement.
In 1911 Jacob Gartner passed away. The store was left to his son Isadore. Isadore had two daughters, Jean and Louise. In 1928 Norbert Kahn came to America to work at the store. In time, Norbert married Jean, and Ted Reiss, who also co-managed Gartner's until he moved to Marquette, married Louise.
Norbert Kahn continued to run Gartner's, and in 1962 he made his son Richard, Vice President of the company. Richard was the first person involved with the company to have a college degree. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University. Richard became President of Gartner's after his father's death in 1972.
The employees that work here have a commitment to excellence and to the history of Gartner's. From these employees, the growth of the company comes naturally.
Today, Gartner's is a one stop shopping experience for all the items that one needs to make a house your home. We have access to over 100 dealers in all areas of home furnishings. We carry the latest, most up to date stock ('If it's new-we have it') and have furniture for every room in your home. We carry a whole range of flooring to meet your every need. We specialize in bedding from Sealy. Window treatments include custom blinds and drapes. To complete your home, we carry every accessory to give that finishing touch to every style. To assist you in making the right choice for you, interior decorator services are available with purchase.
Mark and Gail Johnson, the current owners, took over June 24th, 2010 and look to carry on the tradition of quality service the area has come to know with Gartner's. The new name Gartners Gallery was developed to establish something new while keeping at the same time the Gartner name as a testament to the long standing tradition of the store as well as honoring the Gartner and Kahn legacy.