Who was Ed Kratz?
Born October 12, 1892 in South Dakota, Ed married Marian Cowan in 1921 and they had two daughters: Grace in 1923 and Mary in 1928. Ed’s specialty paper manufacturer, Marsene Transparent Paper Company, was in Gary. He held patents for transparent paper and a mechanism for rolling paper evenly, some of which was subsequently used in World War II. The company was sold in 1934 to Borg Warner, which was eventually bought by General Electric.
What did he contribute to the town?
In April 1930, Ed purchased two lots on Shore Drive and commissioned A.L. Cash to build the first permanent house at 50 Shore Drive for $50,000 in 1930, $951,000 in 2025. The home had 17 rooms and was one of the grandest homes in Porter County. Ed served as the Ogden Dunes Town President from 1936-1957 and hosted town meetings at the boat house on his property. Ed guided the town through the Depression, World War II and the Korean War, and for his service, Kratz Field was dedicated in his honor in the early 1960s.
