By Mary Hoar, President Emerita, Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History, Member of the Yonkers Landmarks Preservation Board
Monday, January 11th
January 11, 1944: Habirshaw employees took their show on the road when they presented “Habirshaw Bowery Musical” at the Halloran Hospital on Staten Island for convalescing service men. The hit of the show was none other than Yonkers Police Chief William Kruppenbacher. As soon as the curtain was raised, our chief strolled onstage wearing a large white apron, carrying a glass of beer!
January 11, 1948: The Herald Statesman reported Clark Street resident Walter Obermayer was listed as a Nazi leader in documents sent to the US Senate by Americans troops who found them in Occupied Germany. Obermayer, an electrician for Otis Elevator Company, was born in Bavaria and had been head of Friends of New Germany.
Tuesday, January 12th
January 12, 1916: Hubert Wilke of Shonnard Place opened in the new play “Cinderella Man” at New York City’s Fulton Theater. Internationally known and born in Bavaria, Wilke performed in theaters in Europe and all over America. After retiring from the theater, he taught vocal music at daughter Hubertine’s music school at their new Warburton Avenue home. Wilke, the hero of the
January 12, 1923: Because rent was increased to $700, the Acker, Merrall & Condit Company announced its store in Manor House Square would close after 50 years in business here. The company, founded in 1820 as a package store, remains the oldest wine retailer in the US.
January 12, 1950: Yonkers held its second water holiday, dubbed “Thirstday Thursday,” to try to cut down usage and conserve our dwindling water supply. Our city was very successful and matched the success reached “Dry Friday,” the first water holiday held shortly before Christmas.
Wednesday, January 13th
January 13, 1923: After drifting for three hours in a rowboat jammed in an ice floe on the Hudson, Leonard Bauer of Nepperhan Terrace and Arthur Hinges of Nepperhan Avenue managed to free their boat from the ice and drifted to shore at the College of Mount St. Vincent. Both Yonkers Police and the New York City Marine Police searched the Hudson unsuccessfully for the pair of men.
January 13, 1928: After announcing a Board of Estimate Budget Committee meeting, Mayor Larkin announced he would “prune” any proposed raises if they exceeded an undisclosed amount.
January 13, 1928: Bowing to the superstitions of several police officers, the Yonkers Police Honors Board postponed awarding honors and citations from Friday the 13th to Saturday the 14th.
Thursday, January 14th:
January 14, 1921: Willie Gordon of Yonkers, former one-mile metropolitan champion runner, sailed for South America to design and build golf courses. Friends and colleagues gave him a bon voyage party at the boat. Before being involved in golf courses, he was a gardener with his brother Freeland at Greystone. It was said Freeland, another track star, and Willie took such pride in their work for Samuel Untermyer, they never raced in the same meet so one of them would always be at the estate.
January 14, 1936: Acting Mayor Frank Cotter took the reins of the city while Mayor Joseph Loehr went on vacation to Miami. What was Cotter’s first act as the man in charge? He tried out the Mayor’s swivel chair!
Friday, January 15th
January 15, 1924: Public Safety Commissioner Alfred Iles announced he would pay no attention to any anonymous accusations of alleged gambling or violations of the Volstead Act; he only would follow up signed allegations, and would follow them up quickly.
January 15, 1937: Yonkers detectives arrested thirty-one men after raiding an alleged “horse room” in McLean Heights. City Judge Boote arraigned the men in the special Night Court set up in the Second Precinct Station House.
January 15, 1942: Health Commissioner Eugene McGillian announced he was searching for old Yonkers wells to create an auxiliary water supply in case Yonkers was attacked. As he said, any air raid directed against our city would no doubt destroy both the water and sewer lines running side-by-side under our streets. Some of our older residents told about wells on some of the private North Broadway estates, in Nodine Hill, and in the heart of Getty Square!
Saturday, January 16th
January 16, 1921: Rear Admiral Purnell Harrington, USN retired, Chairman of the Mayor’s Memorial Committee, announced plans for the Yonkers memorial honoring those who paid the supreme sacrifice in the World War. The memorial would be erected on the west side of City Hall, be designed by Yonkers noted sculptor Isidore Konti, and cost $9000.
January 16, 1942: As a precaution against potential sabotage, the State Armory on North Broadway began to look like an arsenal. Workers added steel bars around each window and all-steel doors in their attempts to make the large drill shed impenetrable and sabotage proof.
January 16, 1945: The Yonkers Kiwanis Club Quartet, entertaining at a fight-night program for wounded veterans held in the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan, were surprised and pleased when a soldier came over to thank them. The soldier happened to be Peter Stefanowich of Buena Vista Avenue, wounded the previous May in Italy.
Sunday, January 17th
January 17, 1921: City Judge Charles Boote gave a suspended sentence as a wedding present to F. Sullivan Hyde! Hyde received a speeding summons a few days earlier as he drove through Yonkers; he told the court he was on his way to get married and did not want to keep his bride waiting at the church. The judge said it was a good reason and sent him back to his bride.
January 17, 1934: Welfare Commissioner Nicholas Ebbitt announced plans to employ needy Yonkers artists to paint portraits and murals for city buildings.
January 17, 1945: Councilmember Edith Welty shocked the audience at the Yonkers Night event at Sarah Lawrence College, held to help the college learn about its “neighbor,” when she told them the college actually was in Yonkers!
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.
