By Mary Hoar, President Emerita, Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, November 8th
November 8, 1911: Actor Jefferson de Angelis returned to his Yonkers home in Southwest Yonkers from Richmond, Virginia, to rest after ending his tour in the play “The Ladies’ Lion.”
November 8, 1935: In a preemptive strike to prevent gang wars between three NY area gangs vying for control of the Yonkers slot machine racket, Yonkers Police Chief Edward Quirk raided seven stores, arrested fifteen storeowners, and impounded nine “pin games.”
November 8, 1939: Democratic Alderman William Slater, creator of Yonkers’ nationally known “Slater Anti-Shorts legislation,” was swept out of office; Republicans carried eight of the city’s twelve wards.
Tuesday, November 9th:
November 9, 1903: Superintendent Daly of the Yonkers Railroad Company set men to work re-setting the curved rails at the corner of Palisade and Ashburton Avenues.
November 9, 1922: Carrying a greeting from President Warren G. Harding, Henrietta Livermore of 144 Park Avenue sailed for Brazil to represent him at the formal opening of the American Building in December.
November 9, 1928: After an official inspection of the facility, New York State Commissioner of Correction John Kennedy recommended the construction of a steel-barred partition between the outer main entrance and the corridor entrance to the new City Jail on Alexander Street.
Wednesday, November 10th:
November 10, 1936: Justice of the Peace Charles Klein, who preferred not to kiss brides after performing marriage ceremonies, instead occasionally gave the happy couple another benefit to being married. Dancers Constanzo Greco and Sarita Iris Rivera appeared at his office to be married, telling him they were on their way to Hollywood to try to get into movies. Klein’s good friend was Harry Jolson, brother of Al Jolson, who ran an actors’ agency in Hollywood. Mr. Klein gave them a letter of introduction to Mr. Jolson as their wedding present!
November 10, 1942: Arthur Witte, Yonkers Rotary Club Secretary, suggested if Club members ever gave a ride to a hitchhiking soldier, sailor or marine, they ask the serviceman for his mother’s address. That way the member could write a note to the mom to let her know her son looked just fine.
Thursday, November 11th:
November 11, 1934: After receiving a call to a St. James Terrace home because a “queer noise” in the chimney was terrifying the owners, Yonkers Fire Department Captain Albert Kern and the Truck Five crew arrived to help. They pulled out the fireplace grate, with no luck finding the source of the noise. They figured it had to be an animal, and tried enticing it with nuts, again no luck. Finally, the captain lit a few newspapers in the fireplace; the flames made their way up the chimney, and out rushed the big bushy-tailed and slightly singed gray squirrel that had been trapped in the chimney! Mr. Squirrel ran once around the room, spotted his exit and darted out an open window,
November 11, 1940: Yonkers only surviving Civil War veteran Charles Frazee was the Honorary Grand Marshall of our annual Armistice Day services. Veterans of three wars—Civil, Spanish American and World (I)– marched in the annual parade to honor those we lost. At 11 am, the hour the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, all traffic stopped; those at the World War Monument on South Broadway stood silently for two minutes to pay tribute to our deceased veterans.
Friday, November 12th:
November 12, 1921: Yonkers featherweight Jack Bernstein, formerly known as Kid Murphy, was disappointed by the cancelation of his bout with Sammy Stone at the Commonwealth Sporting Club. Stone, a title contender, thought the bout would be an easy win… until he realized he was fighting Kid Murphy. He then put requirements on the fight, ones impossible for Bernstein to meet. Mike Arra was substituted for Bernstein, making our Yonkers boy very disappointed. Common wisdom had Bernstein winning the fight as he was in top condition. Instead he fought Benny Valger at Columbus Hall a few weeks later, losing by decision.
November 12, 1944: A Yonkers Red Cross worker received an unusual phone call. An Army carrier pigeon had flown into the caller’s home; although the window was open, the pigeon just would not leave. She was told the pigeon was exhausted and needed to rest, so she should leave milk mixed with sugar by the open window. As soon as the bird ate and rested, it would leave. Within a few hours it ate, left and flew off to resume its mission.
Saturday, November 13th:
November 13, 1916: Mayor Lennon’s administration announced the pumping station and reservoir on Lake Avenue would be abandoned, and a new 3,000,000-gallon pump would be bought for the Tubewell Station. Later, Yonkers poured tons of fill into the former reservoir to raise it to the level of Lake Avenue; this former source of Yonkers’ water now is Lennon Park.
November 13, 1920: Federal Prohibition agents led by Izzi Einstein stopped by Yonkers, made three arrests, and took away eleven barrels of Italian wine. Einstein, along with his partner Moe Smith, was one of the most successful prohibition agents in the early days of prohibition.
Sunday, November 14th:
November 14, 1951: To celebrate its third anniversary as a night harness racing track, Yonkers Raceway presented Yonkers a “$32,787 lighting system, two and one-half miles long.” The new system, designed to improve traffic capacity and speed traffic on Central Park Avenue during racing season, officially was turned on the overhead lane lights by Yonkers Trotting Association President William Cane at the control box just south of the Raceway entrance. The gift included lights, thousands of feet of wire, stanchions and posts for parking restrictions, signs and directions, flasher barricades, and more! It was a suggested when the new State Thruway opened, the lane signals could be repurposed as signals on the service roads paralleling the new highway.
Questions or comments? Email YonkersHistory1646@gmail.com.
For information on the Yonkers Historical Society, Sherwood House and upcoming events, please visit our website www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org, call 914-961-8940 or email yhsociety@aol.com.
