By Mary Hoar, President Emerita, Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, December 20th
December 20, 1945: Fire routed more than 500 Christmas shoppers and employees from Genung’s Department Store on Main Street! Eight employees, all veterans who had returned from war a few months earlier, led the shoppers to safety. Arthur Alterwisher, Robert Brown, Don Cuozzo, Harold Dullum, Salvatore DiGirolemo, Michael Dirgs, Thomas Logue, and James McGinn did such a great job evacuating the store, although YFD arrived within a few minutes, just a few sales staff members still were in the store.
Although damage to the building was estimated at just under $4000, the store reopened after windows on the east side of the building were boarded up and debris cleaned up. Fire Chief Garvin believed the fire was caused by a short circuit and personally tested every electrical circuit in the store.
December 20, 1955: Otis Elevator announced not only had it been retooling a portion of its factory for several months to make pinsetters, it had signed a contract to manufacture, install and service its new automatic pinsetter-bowling device!
Tuesday December 21st
December 21, 1945: Yonkers Library Director Grinton Will told library trustees their exploratory investigation of bacteria-killing lamps had piqued the interest of our local school and health officials!
December 21, 1955: According to a plan prepared for the Trustees of the Yonkers Board of Education, the budgeted $200 teacher raises were “postponed,” and the money would be used to buy supplies, books, equipment and building repair.
December 21, 1955: The very last mass was celebrated at Yonkers’ Gray Oaks Hospital for Tuberculosis; the hospital on Saw Mill River Road was being closed by our city ten days later. Not only was there full approval of NYS, the state planned to consolidate services of 6 area tuberculosis facilities.
Wednesday, December 22nd
December 22, 1897: Frank W. Woolworth, founder of the Woolworth “Five and Ten” chain, signed a lease for the building at 27-29 North Broadway, owned by James McCann. The lease ran for five years and one month; the annual rent of $3,600 was payable in monthly installments.
December 22, 1925: City Hall received notice Billy Cook’s Inn, a one time Yonkers hotspot, would be torn down for an apartment building. The Inn was on South Broadway between Post and Randolph Streets.
December 22, 1956: The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation announced Cetadiol, a drug designed to treat alcoholism, was developed using experimental components created at the Nepera Chemical Company. The Foundation Treated 43 patients hospitalized with advanced alcoholism with the drug, claiming all were “put back on the road to recovery.”
Thursday, December 23rd
December 23, 1935: The Central Committee of Organized War Veterans, 16 groups in all, sent Christmas packages to the 54 Yonkers men in Government hospitals; the men were suffering from injuries received in the World War (WWI).
December 23, 1945: The Kenealy-Kendrick Garrison Auxiliary, Army and Navy Union, entertained a group of patients from the Bronx Veterans Hospital at its clubrooms at 60 Riverdale Avenue.
December 23, 1955: Yonkers School Board Trustees, led by President James Park, directed School Superintendent Stanley Wynstra to “find out where the leak is.” Someone was giving unnamed New York City newspaper information before the Trustees received it, before it was approved. The suspicion was the leak came from a department director or supervisor.
Friday, December 24th:
December 24, 1917: More than 3,000 people attended the Christmas exercises at City Hall Park, Yonkers second Community Tree Lighting. After Christmas carols were sung, Fr. Richard Hughes of St. Denis’ Church spoke on “The Message of Peace,” stressing the need for an early peace and end to the war.
December 24, 1927: Ethelbert Belknap, the eighty-three year old superintendent of Philipse Manor Hall, announced over 7,000 people had visited the historical building during 1927; this was an increase of more than 1,000 people over 1926.
Saturday, December 25th:
December 25, 1940: Thieves smashed their way into the Steadman Music House at 24 Warburton Avenue, stealing three instruments, a saxophone, a clarinet and a trumpet; the instruments were valued at more than $200.
December 25, 1940: For the first time since he had suffered injury eighteen months earlier, nine-year-old Bobby Sutherland went home to celebrate Christmas with his family! Bobby, who had been in St. John’s Hospital eighteen months with a bone infection, got a one day reprieve to celebrate at his Ridge Avenue home. Although his condition was called “satisfactory,” Bobby had to go back to St. John’s to continue treatment when dinner was over.
Sunday, December 26th:
December 26, 1901: Poolroom King Frank Farrell purchased the Empire City Track for $218,000. Although there was much speculation about for whom Farrell was buying the track, he stated, “The track is mine and only mine.” It was purchased from the estate of William Clark, who passed away a few months after Empire City opened in 1899. Farrell said he would make improvements, including new stables and a railroad spur. He also planned to correct the problems with the grandstand; apparently it had been built on the wrong side of the track, so the afternoon sun on a nice day was unbearable to the spectators.
December 26, 1925: A NYC syndicate filed building plans for a motion picture theater at 252-256 Ashburton Avenue; the plans called for the theater to hold more than 500 people
December 26, 1932: Otis Elevator received contracts for fifteen freight and passenger elevators for US Government buildings, including one freight elevator for the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor.
Questions or comments? Email YonkersHistory1646@gmail.com.
For information on the Yonkers Historical Society, Sherwood House and upcoming programs, please visit our website www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org, call 914-961-8940 or email yhsociety@aol.com.
