Yonkers Public Library (YPL) is thrilled to announce that the Yonkers Home News is now available, thanks to a $4,315 grant awarded in July 2024 by Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO). The entire run of The Yonkers Home News is now searchable online through METRO’s DCMNY (Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York).
The Yonkers Home News was published between June 17, 1941 and January 29, 1946 and was sent to more than 15,000 service members around the world during World War II, sharing local Yonkers news vignettes and social history. YPL owns the entire run of the paper, which consists of 244 volumes totaling 1,958 pages.The paper is now viewable and keyword searchable online through the Yonkers Digital Archives and also through the Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York (DCMNY).
“As the living memory of World War II is fading, efforts to preserve and share local experiences of it are more important than ever. Digitizing the Yonkers Home News is an important way to ensure that the stories of Yonkers and Yonkersites during World War II endure.” said Jesse Montero, Library Director.
The Yonkers Home News was published during the time the Alexander Smith & Sons Carpet Company was the largest employer in Yonkers. The factory, established in 1865, was a major employer until the company left the city in the mid-20th century. During its existence, the company drew generations of immigrants from Eastern and Western Europe to settle in Yonkers, and many of those descendants still live in the area. The company operated in Yonkers until 1954, and the factory buildings and workers’ housing remained standing and were named a national historic district in 1983.
The Yonkers Home News offers a treasure trove of information on the people and culture of Yonkers, designated by the National Park Service in 2023 as a World War II American Heritage City for New York State.
“Yonkers played a pivotal role during World War II, both overseas and here at home. Digitizing the Yonkers Home News will make it easier to discover the heroism and resilience of Yonkersites during that important time.” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano.
City Historian Mary Hoar reminds us that “During World War II, sacrifices of Yonkers’ people were legendary; our united focus was to do everything possible to ‘Bring our boys back home!’ All Yonkers had a family member or friend serving our country. Online access to Yonkers Home News will unveil a time when Yonkers came together in strength, commitment, and purpose, revealing the true story of what perhaps was Yonkers’ finest hour.”
YPL already offers access to over 2.8 million pages of searchable Westchester newspapers including the Yonkers Herald Statesman through Yonkers News Archive, a partnership with newspapers.com.
