Mary Ellen Kramer

Mary Ellen Kramer. Great Falls Park. , Some 190 million years ago (Mesozoic Era), fluid lava as high as a ten story building rolled in a single flow from fifty miles away and solidified in this region. The basaltic ridge formed by these flows explains the basic geological formation of the Great Falls. Through this notch, the entirety of the Passaic River plunges some 77 feet, making it the second largest waterfall by volume east of the Mississippi River, surpassed only by Niagara Falls., The Great Falls has been an important part of the cultural history of this region beginning with its native inhabitants, and later to the formation and expansion of the United States. Inspired by visits to this waterfall, first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton proposed its potential as a power source to launch the new nation’s economy to be based on industry and trade. The Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures was charted in 1791 to realize his vision, and thus laid the foundation for the City of Paterson and the nation’s economy., The significance of the Great Falls is recognized for these natural and national cultural events as a Natural National Landmark (1966) and as the heart of the Great Falls National Historic Landmark District (1976) and later the Great Falls National Historical Park (2009), Mary Ellen Kramer was instrumental in galvanizing Paterson’s historic preservation movement that resulted in these designations, and for the reopening of this property as a public park in 1974. It was officially named in honor of her memory by the Paterson Municipal Council on February 15, 1994 (94:197)., This plaque is given in commemoration of the restoration of this park and its rededication to Mary Ellen Kramer, whose leadership and legacy preserved this sacred place as an inspiration for all. , National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior , Governor Chris Christie, State of New Jersey , Commissioner Bob Martin, NJ Department of Environmental Protection , Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders , Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres, City of Paterson , Historic Preservation Commission, City of Paterson, August 2015.