Program

NYS Historic

Subject

People, Site

Location

830 Thacher Pk Rd, Voorheesville, NY 12186, USA

Lat/Long

42.654724172631, -74.017636217791

Grant Recipient

New Scotland Historical Association

This historical marker at John Boyd Thacher State Park will commemorate Winifred Goldring, the first woman appointed as New York State Paleontologist. The Park was recently designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, joining only 28 other such sites in New York State as of 2025. Thacher Park is situated along the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the United States, which played a key role in earning this national recognition. The park’s renowned Indian Ladder Trail takes visitors past a dramatic limestone cliff face and scenic waterfalls, making it a prime location to celebrate both Goldring’s legacy and the region’s geological significance; especially as she authored a geological history of the Park.

Winifred Goldring was a trailblazer in New York’s rich tradition of geologic and paleontological research. Born in the small neighborhood of Slingerlands, near the New Scotland-Bethlehem town border with their property sitting on the New Scotland side, she came from a family with deep roots in the area. After earning a master’s degree from Wellesley College in 1912, she joined the New York State Museum in 1914 as a temporary researcher. Over the next three decades, she broke barriers as the museum’s first female curator and later as the New York State Paleontologist—one of the first women in the country to hold such a title. She went on to serve as president of the Paleontological Society and vice president of the Geological Society of America, making lasting contributions to the field despite the barriers she faced.

Goldring became a world-renowned expert on Devonian crinoids, describing 155 species—58 of which were entirely new to science. Due to resistance from male colleagues, much of her fieldwork remained within New York, yet she continued to distinguish herself with meticulous research.

Goldring was also known for her adventurous spirit—she famously rode in a motorcycle sidecar and carried a pistol while conducting fieldwork. Given the park’s deep geological significance, its visibility to the public, and her related publication, it is a fitting location for a historical marker honoring her groundbreaking contributions to paleontology.

For more information about Winifred Goldring, visit:

Links

• https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/women-of-science/winifred-goldring
• https://www.museumoftheearth.org/daring-to-dig/bio/goldring