Columbus Hall, the former Yonkers Armory was converted to an athletic center. Today it is Castle Royale
By Mary Hoar, City of Yonkers Municipal Historian, 1977 recipient of the Key to the City of Yonkers, President Emeritus Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History, Yonkers Landmarks Preservation Board Member, Founder of Revolutionary Yonkers 250 and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, September 28th
September 28, 1891: John Copcutt filed lawsuits against both Yonkers and Alexander Smith & Sons’ Carpet Company, claiming both fouled the Nepperhan River. Copcutt owned much land in Yonkers, including the lower waterfalls where the Nepperhan River emptied into the Hudson. He built mills and stores in that area. In 1854, he purchased woodlands to build his Nepperhan Avenue residence and cottages for his mill hands. His home now is St. Casimir’s Rectory.
September 28, 1943: Worth Street’s Private Carmine Altamuro, in Italy for a few months, stopped for water in a small town near Salerno, Italy. Another man also stopped for water. Carmine immediately recognized the man from family pictures; it was his uncles!
Tuesday, September 29th
September 29, 1918: The Deutchman Brothers, owners of the Yonkers Waist Company at 46 Prospect Street, increased their bonus system; their Yonkers branch was doing well! They increased monthly bonuses from 5% to 10% and began paying them weekly. They doubled the size of their well-lit, clean plant, and started new employees at a fair wage; they claimed their employees received wages as high as New York City workers. They promised the “best care would be taken of workers after they went to work,” and touted job advancement was given for ability. The brothers stated the work was light, claiming “in no way is it hard or unhealthy.”
September 29, 1943: Yonkers Building Superintendent John Brady refused to issue a permit to demolish the Yonkers Brewery buildings on Chicken Island! Why? There was a $35,000 tax lien against the property, and the City Council would have to approve demolition
According to City tax records, the property owner was Yonkers Colonial Corporation, 18 Ann Street (Chicken Island).
According to Brady, owner of the property was V. A. Thomas, Second Avenue, Manhattan.
Wednesday, September 30th
September 30, 1927: Dr. Matthias Nicoll, State Health Commissioner, announced dumping raw sewage into the Hudson Rive was “a constantly growing menace to public health,” and “suggested” Yonkers hire a qualified sanitary engineer to prepare plans for a sewage disposal plant.
September 30, 1943: Alexander Smith and Sons Carpet Company, held a special flag raising to let the Navy know it was producing at “full speed!” Navy flags, reading “Full Speed Ahead” were hoisted on a flagpole on the personnel department building at Axminster Street and Nepperhan Avenue.
Thursday, October 1st
October 1, 1943: Yonkers residents donated almost 11,000 books to the 1943 Victory Book campaign! Yonkers Public Library employee Florence Hagan, Chair of the Yonkers Victory Book committee, said most of the books were fiction; 1,112 were nonfiction. There were so many books, the committee had to make six deliveries to the New York City collection depot. Ms. Hagan said, although the campaign officially was ending, our Yonkers committee “would welcome” continued contributions, especially of “pocket size books;” these books would be sent to nearby military camps.
October 1, 1945: Lieutenant Malcolm Wilson of Rockland Avenue, Assemblyman from the First District, was placed on inactive duty with the US Naval Reserve. As an armed guard officer in charge of a gun crew on a Liberty ship carrying ammunition, Wilson took part in the Normandy invasion, served in the British Isles and in the Mediterranean.
Friday, October 2nd
October 2, 1943: Sarah McGovern of Warburton Avenue received a copy of an employees’ publication from the Otis plant in Waygood, Australia; the edition covered a visit her son Hugh, with the Sea Beas, made to the company there. Hugh had worked here in the Yonkers Otis office before entering the service. The Australian branch had sent the magazine to its Yonkers office, and they presented it to the proud mom.
October 2, 1953: A Russian born Yonkers woman met her brother for the first time! Mrs. Irving Goodman of St. John’s Avenue had left Russia two years before her 45-year old brother Manuel Brytwa was born. Manuel escaped with his brother Abraham when Hitler invaded Russia; the rest of the family were killed in concentration camps. The two brothers stowed away on a tramp steamer headed for Buenos Aires, where they were allowed to stay.
Saturday, October 3rd
October 3, 1930: Fans of Columbus Hall boxing who went to see Westchester boxing star Eddie Cerda add another win to his impressive list were shocked when Long Island’s Joe Belair outboxed and outslugged the local favorite. Columbus Hall had been the first Yonkers Armory, built at the corner of Waverly Street.
October 3, 1931: Former Notre Dame Football Captain John Law took over as coach of the Manhattan College Football Team. Law captained the undefeated 1929 National Championship Notre Dame team, coached by Knute Rockne. Rockne considered the 1929 to be the “strongest” team of all.
Sunday, October 4th
October 4, 1911: City Engineer Cooper weighed in on the Aldermanic suggestion that a tunnel be built under the stairs from South Broadway to the main entrance, saying it was “absurd… and would lead to disaster.” His suggestion was to construct an escalator from South Broadway to the northern entrance; this, he thought, would keep the “parklike appearance of the grounds” and was the “sanest proposals for solving the perplexing problem.”
October 4, 1926: Public Works Commissioner William Goldsmith proposed Yonkers create an emergency landing field with large beacon lighting to guide planes in difficulty.
October 4, 1940: The Yonkers US Naval Reserve was ordered into active service by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox.
Any questions on this column, email yonkershistory1646@gmail.com.
For information on the Yonkers Historical Society, the Sherwood House Museum on Tuckahoe Road or their upcoming events, please call 914-961-8940, visit website www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org, or email info@yonkershistoricalsociety.org.