Yonkers Mayor from the 1930’s Joe Loehr
By Mary Hoar, City of Yonkers Historian, President Emeritus Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History, Yonkers Landmarks Preservation Board Member, Revolutionary Yonkers 250 Chair and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, March 17th
March 17, 1942: The mystery of why Yonkers Savings Banks violated the blackout two days earlier was solved! Although usually scrupulous in observing the tests, the Sunday night malfunction caused bank lights to flicker instead of remaining out. The master switch was supposed to turn lights on at dusk and off at 10:06 pm. A new system was installed and calibrated to turn lights off at 6 pm Saturdays and turn it on Monday mornings.
March 17, 1966: Baseball hero Jackie Robinson addressed the parents and children of School 22! Invited by Yonkers resident Reverend Wyatt Tee Walker, the Special Assistant to Governor Rockefeller for Urban Affairs, Robinson not only spoke to the audience about his time in baseball, but also about his son who was wounded in Viet Nam. He advised parents not to push their children, but let them play ball to learn team spirit, both in sports and in the community.
Tuesday, March 18th
March 18, 1928: The Westchester County Sanitary Sewer Commission announced they had tentative plans to build two sewage disposal plants in Yonkers, one at Saunders Dock and the second at Ludlow Dock.
March 18, 1940: Because the Common Council did not notify the press or public of the previous week’s Council meeting, allegedly an oversight. Councilman Edith Welty instructed City Clerk Francis Heafy, Secretary to the Council, to notify the newspapers whenever a meeting was called. Welty said, “it is not a policy of the Council to exclude the press from its meetings.”
Wednesday, March 19th
March 19, 1922: More than 500 people attended the formal dedication of the new maternity ward at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Mrs. Dennis O’Brien, wife of the show business lawyer, headed the reception committee for the glittering event.
March 19, 1934: Yonkers had another one of its “mayorless” days. Mayor Joe Loehr was away on a cruise; in his absence, Council President John Condon became Acting Mayor. However, John was a New York Central employee and had to go to work! He only was able to get to City Hall for a short time in the late afternoon. During the time he was at work, people declared the city was “mayorless,” as there was no provision in the City Charter for someone to take over for an Acting Mayor!
Thursday, March 20th
March 20, 1924: The New York Telephone Company filed plans for a new central office building at 40-44 Main Street; the three-story building was to cost an estimated $250,000.
March 20, 1935: School Five Principal Eljah Parmerter asked the people of Yonkers to help her solve a mystery.
A letter from Hertford County Hospital in England arrived at the school addressed to “Class 4-2 at School Five, Yonkers NY.” The letter thanked the group for the boxful of presents, flannels, a doll and clothing. The mystery? No one at the school had sent the box! Miss Parmerter called every other Yonkers school, but no one claimed the good deed. A similar letter had been sent to School Two a few weeks earlier; again, no one at that school had sent a package.
Friday, March 21st
March 21, 1931: Two cedar trees from Wakefield Virginia, George Washington’s birthplace, were planted on the lawn in front of the Manor Hall to celebrate the Bicentennial of Washington’s birth.
March 21, 1936: Otis Elevator General Superintendent Robert Goodwillie, announced any foreign-born employee of the company must begin action to become a citizen if the worker wanted to keep his or her job.
Saturday, March 22nd
March 22, 1943: Max Braun and Max Singerfield filed a lawsuit against Yonkers to compel it to allow their company to run a live poultry market at 50 Riverdale Avenue. The two had received permission to operate a market in 1942 after making extensive renovations to their store. Health Commissioner Eugene McGillian revoked the permit, claiming it violated the area’s zoning code.
When Braun and Singer tried to renew the permit, Supreme Court Justice Graham Witschief instead had them bring the issue to court.
March 22, 1945: Staff Sergeant Thomas Piersall, a ball turret gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress in the 15th Air Force in Italy, received the Air Medal for “meritorious achievement in aerial flight.”
A veteran of more than 18 combat missions, he was a graduate of Saunders Trades School and the Air Forces Flexible Gunnery school in Las Vegas.
Sunday, March 23rd
March 23, 1857: Elisha Otis installed his first commercial passenger elevator at E. V. Haughwout Company, a six-story department store at Broadway and Broome Street in NYC; it moved customers up and down at the speed of 40 feet per minute. By the 1870s, there were 2000 Otis elevators in service.
This lead to a great change in the NY skyline, making it feasible to expand upward.
March 23, 1924: Comedian Eddie Cantor, starring in “Kid Boots” on Broadway, appeared at a show presented by the Sunday School Committee of Temple Emanu-El of Yonkers.
March 23, 1945: Three Yonkers heroes were presented with Air Medals for “meritorious achievement” to thank them for their efforts in fighting the war. Second Lieutenant Nils Smith-Petersen, Army Air Force, of Gramatan Drive, received his for leading bombing raids over Nazi Europe. He served as a pilot with a B-24 Liberator bomber group based in Italy.
Staff Sergeant Andrew Wiczkowicz of Orchard Street and Sergeant Thomas Piersall of Riverdale Avenue served as tail gunners on B-17 Flying Fortresses in the 15th Air Force in Italy, and received Air Medals for their achievements in aerial fight.
Questions or comments on this column? 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 info@yonkershistoricalsociety.org.
