The Mercantile Palace of Munger's

This is the history of Henry Gillette Munger, "The Merchant Prince of Herkimer County," and his "Mercantile Palace," located in Herkimer, N.Y.

Although Henry Gillette Munger didn't originate the concept of the department store, when he opened his first store back in 1869, it was still a new-fangled idea that many people in smaller communities had never witnessed. In short order, H. G. Munger & Co.'s New York store became one of the largest such establishments in Herkimer County and beyond. Munger's was not just a department store, but for many, it was an experience that took them from their everyday humdrum existence into a fabulous shopping experience likened to entering a grand palace.

Over the many years of H. G. Munger & Co.'s store's existence, hundreds, if not thousands, of satisfied customers looked forward to such an outing. In a newspaper account of the opening of Munger's newly refurbished store in conjunction with their 70^th anniversary celebration in 1939, the store itself was described as a "Mercantile Palace." An earlier newspaper article in 1887 described H. G. Munger as "The Merchant Prince of Herkimer County."

Henry Gillette Munger was indeed the Merchant Prince of Herkimer County for many years, holding court in his Mercantile Palace on North Main Street in downtown Herkimer, NY.

Today, the building that once housed Munger's Department Store is still fondly remembered as "Munger's" by the citizens of Herkimer, NY, many of whom are too young to have ever remembered a time when the store was in operation.

Helping to keep the Munger's name alive is present owner Joseph Chilelli, who for the past several years has worked tirelessly to bring back life to the old building, which he has accomplished, although much work still needs to be done. This book stands as a testament to Chilelli's hard work and to the legacy of H. G. Munger & Co.'s department store.