By Mary Hoar, Yonkers Historian, President Emerita Yonkers Historical Society, Recipient of the 2004 Key to History and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, December 12th
December 12, 1929: Yonkers resident John Flinn, Vice President of the Pathe Film Company, was one of two corporate officers arrested on charges resulting from the studio’s catastrophic fire. Ten people died in the fire, including four chorus girls, and several more were injured. One of the badly burned was electrician Richard Stradling of Hawthorne Avenue. Chief Sound Engineer Charles Younger of Central Park Avenue helped rescue several people before getting his own injuries treated.
December 12, 1949: Annette LoCascio asked for a separation, full custody of her son Joseph III, $1000 a month temporary alimony, and $10,000 in attorney’s fees. Justice Frank Coyne had awarded her custody. Mrs. LoCascio informed the court her husband’s salary as President of Doll and Toy Industries was $25,000 annually, in addition to income from his leasing Dunwoodie Golf Club to an independent operator for “at least $10,000” annually.
December 12, 1955: Ninth graders in the Industrial Arts Class at Longfellow Junior High School began making toys for hospitalized children! The boys made model trucks out of scrap wood they brought to school, carefully following project plans from teacher Jack Bochner.
Tuesday , December 13th
December 13, 1945: For the first time since the war began, Larkin Plaza was available for local shopper parking. War plant workers had used all the parking spaces day and night during the war, and the two-hour parking restriction was ignored to enable their war efforts.
December 13, 1937: Contractor and Democratic State Committeeman Thomas Brogan was awarded more than $1,000,000 by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to construct a large apartment complex on the former Colgate estate in Glenwood.
Wednesday December 14th
December 14, 1908: After a successful run in NYC, the comic opera “The Gay Musicians” was performed at Blaney’s Theater on Warburton Avenue. Yonkers resident Julian Edwards wrote the music, and conducted the orchestra at the performance in his hometown; Edward Siedle of the Metropolitan Opera House wrote the book… Siedle also was from Yonkers! Neighbors in Ludlow, Siedle lived at 1 Fairfield Road and Edwards lived at 70 Sunnyside Drive.
December 14, 1955: The Yonkers Ferry greeted the new Thruway Bridge in Tarrytown during the opening ceremonies. Stationed near the bridge, the ferryboat Weehawk sported a huge sign stating “Best Wishes From Yonkers Ferry,” and its old-fashioned foghorn took part in the 17-gun salute kicking off the celebration. The Yonkers Ferry had carried cars and trucks between Yonkers and Alpine NJ for 34 years.
Thursday December 15th.
December 15, 1918: Samuel Untermyer was named as chairman of the Mayor’s Waterfront Commission; Mayor Wallin also appointed E. M. Yerks, John E. Andrus, Alexander Stolz and City Engineer Griffith to study Yonkers waterfront development.
December 15, 1918: Former Secretary of the Treasury, Director of the Railroads and Yonkers resident William McAdoo spoke at the Red Cross Roll drive held at the Proctor’s Theater.
December 15, 1944: Work crews and a crane began tearing down the station platform at the back of the First National Bank Building, starting the final phase of the destruction of the abandoned Getty Square spur of NY Central’s Putnam Division.
Friday, December 16th:
December 16, 1931: Alderman Thomas Sullivan launched his “Buy in Yonkers” campaign after emphasizing the advantages of buying locally.
December 16, 1937: Residents of the Nodine Hill section of Yonkers filed the first lawsuits for damages resulting from the collapse of the Nodine Hill water tower the previous October.
December 16, 1953: Two Yonkers brothers, although visually impaired, graduated as registered masseurs from the Swedish Institute in New York. Harold Dando was chairman of the industry committee of County Blind, Inc., headquartered in Yonkers. Brother Harry was a World War II veteran, married and had a daughter. Both men planned to continue with postgraduate studies before entering into practice.
Saturday, December 17th:
December 17, 1906: Yonkers Postmaster Parsons announced Post Office clerks would have to work ten-hour days until the Christmas rush was over; he also announced a large number of postal money orders were purchased, with the largest number sent to Ireland. Other countries that Yonkers people sent money to, in order, were England, Germany, France, Italy and Russia.
December 17, 1910: The men of Engine and Truck 1 on Palisade Avenue built 10 doll houses, four toy firehouses and trolley cars in their spare time. All toys were quite complete in every detail and were destined to be Christmas gifts.
December 17, 1943: The executors of Samuel Untermyer’s estate filed the State appraisal, outlining a gross estate of more than $8 million, with most of the estate left to his three children.
December 17, 1955: The Common Council announced it again would debate adding chemicals to the Yonkers water supply to prevent children’s tooth decay in January. They had voted it down eighteen months earlier.
Sunday, December 18th:
December 18, 1924: Hollywood film director Hobart Henley, while visiting relatives on Valentine lane, predicted sensational and melodramatic pictures would be replaced by simple and natural movies in the near future.
December 18, 1930: Residents of Bryn Mawr Park presented a radio to the officers and men of the city’s new firehouse, Engine 12, on Dartmouth Avenue. A delegation of from the civic associations in the section called at the fire station and presented the gift to Lieutenant Edward McCarthy.
December 18, 1931: Mayor-elect Joseph Loehr announced he would urge the sale of city owned property adjacent to the Habirshaw Cable and Wire Corporation at Glenwood to allow the company to expand.
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 info@yonkershistoricalsociety.org.
