Mary Hoar, President Untermyer Performing Arts Council, Member Landmarks Preservation Board, President Emerita, Yonkers Historical Society
Monday, November 2nd
November 2, 1923: Residents of the Park Hill neighborhood were shocked to find a burning cross in their community, with the letters KKK written on a nearby rock
November 2, 1934: Yonkers residents came together in a city-wide protest to officially protest against Board of Education’s plans to close schools the entire month of December.
November 2, 1944: While presenting a check to a local tobacco company to send 9,000 packs of cigarettes to our overseas service members, Yonkers Restaurant Liquor Dealers Association President Edward Wands read part of a letter he had just received from Yeoman Second Class Harry Brooks, USN. While at sail in the South Pacific, Brooks had received packages of cigarettes with the seal of the Yonkers organization on them! Brooks wrote, “Seeing Yonkers on that stamp brought fond memories of home. Let’s hope Victory is not far off, and we will soon be back enjoying that cigarette at home!”
Tuesday, November 3rd
November 3, 1932: Thousands of Yonkers residents witnessed the US Navy dirigible Axron flying at 2,000 feet over the Hudson River as it head north.
November 3, 1936: Yonkers resident and Republican gubernatorial candidate William F. Bleakley cast his ballot at 6:16 am at Gorton High School. Dozens of photographers, newsreel cameras and cheers of friends and onlookers witnessed and recorded Mr. and Mrs. Bleakley performing their civic duty. Bleakley suffered a defeat in his run for governor; a record shattering New York vote for President Roosevelt swept Governor Herbert Lehman back into office.
Wednesday, November 4th
November 4, 1911: City Engineer Samuel Cooper nixed building a proposed tunnel from City Hall to South Broadway, claiming no contractor could guarantee the stability of the building if the passageway was built.
November 4, 1912: The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society gave a room in Manor Hall to the Keskeskick Chapter, DAR, to be used as it s headquarters. Fourteen charter members founded the chapter in 1895; the chapter was named after the area of Yonkers known as Keskeskick, the Algonquin word for stony place.
November 4, 1919: Detective Lieutenant Dennis Cooper announced because women were at Yonkers’ polling booths and Prohibition was in force… the “tendency to rowdyism” during the election pretty much was eliminated.
Thursday, November 5th
November 5, 1904: Several thousand people witnessed Frank Croker break an automobile racing record at Empire City Track on Election Day. Driving a Ford racer, Crocker set the amateur track record, covering twelve miles in 11 minutes and 32 seconds.
The son of former Tammany Hall boss Richard Croker, Frank’s racing career was cut short after a terrible accident the following January while practicing for the Ormond-Daytona Beach tournament. He passed away the following morning at the age of 27, his life cut much too short by his love of speed.
November 5, 1928: The “voice of the sky” was heard for the first time over Yonkers when a tri-motor airplane, equipped with giant speakers and amplifiers, flew over Yonkers to broadcast campaign information for Mayor John J. Fogarty. Fogarty won.
Friday, November 6th
November 6, 1905: Mrs. J. N. Cuneo, one of the foremost women drivers in the country, gave an exhibition of driving skills during a two-mile race at Empire City Track.
November 6, 1932: Complaining that business was being destroyed by “urchin competition,” Yonkers bootblacks organized their own union to regulate the shoe shining business here. Apparently, the members were finding it difficult to collect their standard 10-cent fees for a shine, when the younger boys using homemade materials were charging anywhere from three to five cents per shine.
November 6, 1942: Mrs. Mary Weige, one of the first seven women hired by Otis Elevator Company, was commended for her long and faithful service. She joined Otis shortly after the sudden death of her husband, when the company announced they were going to hire women. Her first job was winding, a job done by hand in those days. She went home the first day with a huge blister, but powered through; never absent, she was late just once in all her years working for Otis. Because of her faithful service to a company she considered family, she was dubbed the real Miss Otis!
Saturday, November 7th
November 7, 1902: Employees of the Otis Elevators Company raised a flag to the top of their waterfront building to celebrate the election of Norton P. Otis to the US Congress.
November 7, 1924: Lu Chow, head of the notorious Hip Sing Tong, was arraigned before Judge Boote on a charge of illegal gun possession. The good judge suspended the charge pending the outcome of more serious charges against Chow in the Big Apple. Yonkers Homicide Squad detectives then took Chow, arrested in a raid at the Tong hideaway at 8 Herriot Street, to Manhattan to face the charge of murdering the owner of a Corona tearoom with a hatchet. Trailing and guarding the Yonkers Police car were five Hip Sing Tong men in a car; they afraid a rival gang would try to assassinate Chow to avenge the murder. They all arrived at the New York Court without incident.
Sunday, November 8th:
November 8, 1930: Yonkers Police Department Chief Edward Quirk announced that all future applicants for revolver permits would be required to be fingerprinted and photographed, enabling police to have a complete record of their identities.
November 8, 1933: William Raymond Gill, Communist candidate for Mayor, was stabbed by a friend he was entertaining at home. Gill, not hurt seriously, declined to make a complaint against his assailant.
November 8, 1939: 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.
For more information on the Yonkers Historical Society, Sherwood House and our upcoming events, please visit our website www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org, call 914-961-8940 or email yhsociety@aol.com.
