A sketch of Washington and Thomas Valentine at the Valentine house, which served as Washington’s Headquarters in 1776 and 1781
By Mary Hoar, City of Yonkers Historian, President Emerita Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History, Member of the Yonkers Landmarks Preservation Board, Chair of Revolutionary Yonkers 250 and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, October 21st
October 21, 1776: While Washington was in his headquarters at Thomas Valentine’s home on Valentine’s Hill, General Lincoln joined him. During this time, a party of American light horse and infantry took possession of Philipse Manor Hall.
October 21, 1943: Charles Ketcham, President of the Yonkers Savings Bank, shared letters he received from five Yonkers overseas servicemen, members of two Yonkers families. Their mothers had been selected to christen “The City of Yonkers, N. Y.,” a Thunderbolt aircraft sponsored by the Yonkers Savings Bank a few months earlier. Selected because they were the two Yonkers mothers with the most sons serving in the armed forces, the two women were entertained royally by Ketcham and the other bank officials on the day of the christening in Long Island.
Tuesday, October 22nd
October 22, 1926: The chairman of the Newark committee to erect a tribute to hometown sons lost in the World War so admired the delicacy and beauty of Yonkers memorial, he wrote to our city authorities to inquire the name and address of the sculptor, and the cost of the tablet and its construction. Renowned sculptor Isadore Konti of Riverdale Avenue, when he learned of the inquiry, said he thought it was “… a great honor that a visitor should comment on the memorial.”
October 22, 1930: Both Mayor John Fogarty and President of the Board of Education Leslie Sutherland were principal speakers at the formal opening of Longfellow Junior High School on North Broadway. Thousands toured the building after the ceremonies.
Wednesday, October 23rd
October 23, 1892: Eickemeyer-Field, Eickemeyer Dynamo Machine and Yonkers Machine Companies consolidated to form the Eickemeyer-Field Manufacturing Company; they created power and electric light plants and electric railroad equipment.
October 23, 1945: As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Smith Carpet Mills, Vice President Harold Zulauf spoke to the Lions Club about the good old days. He shared workers were not allowed to wear a derby to work because it was an “executive perk” of a foreman. Wearing one would constitute impersonating an officer of the firm!
He also told the club, although the carpet mills worked 24 hours a day on war contracts, they had nothing to do with the atomic bomb; however, listening to the news reports was beginning to make him believe it was the only company without a finger on the bomb.
Thursday, October 24th
October 24, 1929: City Engineer Chris Sheridan revealed the city’s plans to build a new street from Nepperhan Avenue to Silk Place and shift the Nepperhan River back to its original bed; the city planned to build a retaining wall along the river. The new road was created to shorten by one mile the circuitous route to the new municipal incinerator.
October 24, 1942: Sixty Yonkers firefighters, representing every Yonkers off-duty firefighter, volunteered their day off to ride US Army trucks collecting scrap metal! They reported to Larkin Plaza to work on the city-wide Scrap for Victory campaign.
Friday, October 25th
October 25, 1936: The New York State Historical Society presented Yonkers 22 historical markers at a special ceremony in Manor Hall.
October 25, 1946: Yonkers first Black dentist, Dr. Edward Jones, whose office was at 46 Warburton Avenue, was featured in a picture spread and article in Ebony magazine as one of the more influential residents of the Sugar Hill neighborhood.
Jones had been National Broad-jump champion some thirty years earlier and still traveled to various sports events in the New York area. Sugar Hill was located on a high bluff, covering the area from New York City College to the Polo Grounds, and was home prominent African Americans such as Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, Roy Wilkins, William Andrews, Canada Lee and William Stanley Braithwaite.
Saturday, October 26th
October 26, 1931: The Leake and Watts Orphan House at 463 Hawthorne Avenue celebrated its 100th Anniversary. The home, originally located at the site of St. John the Divine Cathedral in NYC, moved to Yonkers in 1888 when its location was sold to make way for the cathedral.
October 26, 1945: The women of Otis were complimented on their efforts to welcome the troops sailing past Yonkers on their way to Piermont and home.
No matter what the weather, as soon as they heard the first toot of a factory whistle paying tribute to the soldiers, Otis employees rushed to their windows and dangled a Welcome Home banner with blue and white streamers out the factory windows.
While hanging onto the banner, the women gave resounding football cheers, “One-two-three-Yeah!” loudly and enthusiastically. They easily were heard across the Hudson; the men responded with their own cheers, no doubt impressed with the appreciation they received from our Yonkers workers.
Sunday, October 27th
October 27, 1776: American troops left Valentine Hill to join General Washington’s assembly of his troops in White Plains.
October 27, 1917: Mrs. William Ives, leader of the Yonkers Suffrage Party, led more than 100 Yonkers women to Yonkers City Hall to visit Mayor Lennon; the group then headed to Manhattan to march in the New York City Suffrage parade.
October 27, 1917: Learning James Donaghy, part of the Yonkers Belmont (silent) Film Studio on Herriot Street was rejected from the US Aviation Corps because he was an alien, the Aerial League of America (ALA) immediately made him an active member!
According to Secretary of the ALA wrote it was because of “… our appreciation of your co-operation in assisting the league to render a maximum service in the organization of substantial aerial forces.”
Questions or comments on this column? Email YonkersHistory1646@gmail.com. For information on theYonkers Historical Society, Sherwood House and upcoming events, please visit our website www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org, call 914-961-8940 or email info@yonkershistoricalsociety.org.
