By Mary Hoar, President Emerita, Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, November 22nd:
November 22, 1939: Yonkers Welfare Commissioner Nicholas Ebbitt announced he asked Milo Perkins, head of the Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation, to inaugurate the food stamp program right here in Yonkers. Commissioner Ebbitt had approached officials in all Yonkers banks to support the plan.
November 22, 1942: After soloist Florence Perlman sang at the “Women at War Week” rally held in the auditorium of Most Holy Trinity Church, the master of ceremonies was so moved, he gave her a big, hearty smooch! Rather than being shocked, the audience loved it; the gentleman who kissed her was husband Alexander Perlman!
Tuesday, November 23rd:
November 23, 1918: Mayor William Wallin announced a patriotic community Thanksgiving Sing Service would be held in the armory on North Broadway, joining the national celebration of both the holiday and the end of the war.
November 23, 1955: Yonkers asked federal help to repair damage caused by the Saw Mill River flooding, requesting $87,000 for the work. The Administration asked the allocation come through the Federal Civil Defense Administration, hoping the work would be directed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Yonkers Democratic Supervisor Thomas McSpedon stated most of the Yonkers damage happened in the Saw Mill River Valley, saying it was “hard to tell people with eight to ten feet of water in their homes nothing could be done about the flooding.”
Wednesday, November 24th:
November 24, 1942: The Yonkers Lions Club, meeting at the Abbey Inn, dedicated a service plaque in honor of members in the armed forces to the “cause of freedom.” More than twenty per cent of active Yonkers Lions membership had volunteered in the three branches of the US armed forces! Club President Bert Caulfield reminded attendees Thanksgiving was not just a time of feasting, and suggested all give “thanks to Almighty God” at their places of worship.
November 24, 1950: The largest group of women to be accepted in the Women Marines in the metropolitan area enlisted at the Yonkers Marine Corps Recruiting Station in the Main Post Office Building, foot of Main Street. After getting last minute instructions from St. Sgt. James Harrington USMC, the Women Marines left for Parris Island for six weeks’ boot training.
Thursday, November 25th:
November 25, 1942: Gorton and Yonkers High Schools’ students went on a rampage the night before the traditional Thanksgiving football game between the two schools. Students smashed windows at Yonkers High, more were broken at Gorton, and they smashed twenty-one trolley car windows. Police had to break up several raucous street corner rallies.
November 25, 1944: Park Hill Avenue resident Irving Haim, President of International Distributors, sponsored a national contest for the best essays promoting better understanding on– matchbook covers! Six different messages were on the covers, including, “When you find anyone, yourself included, thinking, speaking or acting with racial or religious prejudice—Stop It! Smith, Kelly, Cohen or Svoboda are good enough to die for us, they are good enough to live here with us as an equal.” Twenty-five million messages of tolerance circulated around the US on his matchbooks.
Friday, November 26th:
November 26, 1926: Because of the economy measures by Mayor William Walsh, prisoners in the City Jail did not have turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner; they had to be contented with roast chicken.
November 26, 1942: Margaret George, publicity director for the War Industries Training Program, announced Eastern Aircraft in Tarrytown called Yonkers School of Aeronautical Manufacturing the “West Point of the Air.” Hundreds of the school’s certified students, from all strata of society and a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, worked together in the plant with one goal in mind, to end the war.
Saturday, November 27th:
November 27, 1946: Former Mayor John Fogarty blasted the closing of the Yonkers Health Center Laboratory. Pointing out for many years, during the tenure of the late Health Commissioner Dr. Buckmaster, Yonkers had “an enviable health record under his long and intelligent administration, it being usually among the first ten healthiest cities in the country.” The Health Center and its “splendid equipment” originally were created to care for underprivileged children, using the guidance from local Academy of Medicine members. The lab had been taken over by Westchester County.
November 27, 1955: Former Ninth Ward Democratic Alderman William Slater appealed to Governor Averill Harriman to come to Yonkers’ aid and help stop after-election-surprise pay raises for the Mayor and twelve Councilmembers! Slater was leader of a citywide movement to stop sitting Councilmembers from raising their pay 69 percent.
Sunday, November 28th
November 28, 1939: Yonkers resident Earl Browder, leader of the American Communist Party, spoke at Yale’s Strathcona Hall. The boisterous audience mixed cheers with boos, but basically was “good natured,” shouting “Viva Browder” and “Down With Everything” while he was speaking. Three hundred Yale men outside the hall were a different story; they crowded around as he was leaving and tried to overturn his car. Persistent rocking the car did not do the trick, so they threw vegetables at his car. Yale President Charles Seymour had resisted pressure from New Haven Mayor John Murphy and the Connecticut American Legion to cancel Browder’s appearance.
November 28, 1946: After Daily News columnist Danton Walker wrote a column on Yonkers’ three hundredth birthday, mentioning William C. Handy, composer of the St. Louis Blues and resident of Colonial Heights, as one of Yonkers “prominent citizens;” Handy reproduced the column, circled his own name, and sent it as a thank you to the columnist. W. C. Handy wrote on the card, “Thanks, Mr. Walker, and thanks to Yonkers which reminds me of a phrase… ‘More cities are claiming Handy living than claim Homer dead!’”
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 yhsociety@aol.com.
