The first mass was offered at St. Mary’s Church, South Broadway, Yonkers in 1848
By Mary Hoar, City of Yonkers Historian, President Emeritus Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History, the Key to the City of Yonkers, Yonkers Landmarks Preservation Board Member, Founder of Revolutionary Yonkers 250 and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, December 22nd
December 22, 1894: St. Andrew’s Golf Club of Yonkers-on-the-Hudson, joined with four other golf clubs to form the Amateur Golf Association of the United States; the name soon would be changed to the US Golf Association.
December 22, 1943: Because nearly 1400 Smith Carpet Company workers were in the military, the company initiated a program to “take care” of employees after they were discharged from the service and returned to work.
Carpet Shop management met with the Textile Workers Union of America to draft a program to return employees to the company workforce, while taking into consideration some workers would be physically handicapped.
Tuesday, December 23rd
December 23, 1863: Yonkers held a Special Town Meeting at the Getty Lyceum. President Lincoln asked for 300,000 volunteers to reinforce the US Army; Yonkers’ quota was 168 men. If not enough men volunteered by January 5th, they would be drafted as provided by the March 1863 Conscription Act.
Yonkers decided to give men an additional $300 bonus to volunteer, in addition to the bounty offered by the State government.
December 23, 1928: Severe flooding in downtown Yonkers caused more than $100,000 damage in Getty Square alone. The Yonkers Statesman managed to get out the paper, even though the pressmen sloshed around six inches of water in their boots!
Wednesday, December 24th:
December 24, 1863: The Statesman, “a Union of the Yonkers Examiner and The Clarion,” announced a Public Meeting December 29th to begin arrangements for the “Grand Fair” to be held in February to support the Sanitary Commissions. A special invitation was extended to women, with the statement, “Ladies are especially invited to be present.”
December 24, 1937: Litigation over the attempted removal of Reverend John Kushwara of Holy Trinity Church Russian Orthodox Church, was submitted to State Supreme Court Justice Raymond Aldrich; it requested Kushwara obey Bishop Theophilus’ order transferring him to a Watervliet parish.
The hearing turned into a dispute as whether Bishop Theophilus had the right to remove a priest or to function as a church dignitary. Attorney David Gorfinkel submitted an affidavit from Adam Philippovsky of Manhattan, stating he, not Theophilus, was the Archbishop of the New York Diocese; hence he was the reigning authority of the Church in North America.
Father Kushwara and his wife refused to leave the parish. When his replacement Father Dzvonchik attempted to enter the church to say Sunday service, parishioners pushed the good Father back into his car!
Thursday, December 25th
December 25, 1848: The first mass was offered in St. Mary’s Church by Father John Ryan.
December 25, 1887: St. Aloysius Boarding Academy for Boys was destroyed by fire. Opened in 1868 by the Sisters of Charity on the late Judge Aaron Vark’s South Broadway property, St. Aloysius prospered right from the start; there was a need for a good school for pre-college boys. Among its students were notables John and Lionel Barrymore.
Sadly, the school burned down Christmas Day 1887. A notice appeared in the Yonkers Statesman ten days later informing the public “the loss by the burning of St. Aloysius Academy will be considerable, and it is only partially covered by insurance.” The school would be no more.
The Sisters of Charity long had wanted a Yonkers hospital to “aid and support the indigent sick.” St. Joseph’s Hospital was built on the school property and opened the following year.
Friday, December 26th
December 26, 1937: Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church presented a monetary gift to former Assistant Pastor Reverend Jeremiah Nemacek, at a celebration of his service to the church and his “spiritual labors’ among the Parishioners. Pastor Reverend John Kubasek praised his nine years of service, wishing him “success and every happiness” in his new post at Our Lady of Refuge in the Bronx.
After thanking the parishioners, Fr. Nemacek thanked Fr. Kubasek for his help, guidance and advice while at Most Holy Trinity.
December 26, 1945: Mayor Frank, speaking for the incoming Common Council new fusion majority, announced they would appoint Robert Craig Montgomery of Yonkers as City Manager since he was the most qualified candidate. Montgomery was fired as City Manager after serving for 110 days earlier that year.
According to the incoming majority, Montgomery accepted the job because it “would give him the opportunity to render real public service to the people of our city… and the natural desire to complete the job so rudely interrupted this year.”
Saturday, December 27th
December 27, 1927: Show Boat, with music composed by Yonkers’ Jerome Kern at his home on Dellwood Road in Cedar Knolls, opened at the Ziegfield Theater to great acclaim!
December 27, 1925: Billy Cook’s Inn, on the east side of Broadway between Post and Randolph Streets,’ was purchased by a NY realty company. Originally the Lowerre homestead, the Inn would be replaced with stores and apartment house.
Sunday, December 28th
December 28, 1955: Third Ward Councilman Michael Nugent introduced legislation asking City Manager Curran to create a pamphlet with accurate 1949 to 1956 Yonkers Public Schools’ data to assist councilmembers refute “vicious propaganda” circulated by school administrators, men Nugent termed to be “morally dishonest.” Information he wanted in the pamphlet was: the number of students enrolled in public schools and the number who actually attended; number of textbooks, desks, chairs and equipment; all school facilities; and all capital expenditures.
Fourth Ward Councilman Dr. Louis Keating asked Nugent to move the resolution to the next meeting so Councilmen-elect Peter Birrittella and Arthur Richardson could vote on it. After councilmembers criticized and personally attacked Keating, he withdrew the request. The resolution passed 9 to 3, with Councilmen Keating, Moczydlowski and Cooke dissenting.
Questions or comments on this column? Email YonkersHistory1646@gmail.com.
For information on the Yonkers Historical Society, Sherwood House and upcoming events, please visit its website www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org, call 914-961-8940 or email info@yonkershistoricalsociety.org.
