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Westchester County, NY |
YONKERS (city)
This page was last updated: Thursday, 05-Apr-2012 09:39:50 MDT
«Cemeteries » « Maps » «Library » «City Web Site» « Census » « Directories »
«Bibliography » « Cultural and/or Historical sites » « Renowned Residents »
«Surnames » «Other Institutions of Genealogical Interest » «Military info » «Loyalists»
«Picture Gallery» « Surname Query and Links»
«Town Index List» «Main County Page»
History
The name "Yonkers" is from the Adriaen Van Der Donck, first landowner in the area, called "De Jonkheer". "It gave its way to the decisive term "Yonkers" till March 7, 1788, when the Legislature of New York united upon the latter as a designation for this as one of the twenty described towns into which it divide the county of Westchester. The town that day defined, remained without change till December 16, 1872 when the southern portion of it was set off as the town of Kingsbridge. Meanwhile, however, from April 12, 1855, the name Yonkers, besides being used of the town, had also been more restrictively applied to a small village of about nine hundred acres laid off within the town, extending one mile and seven-tenths upon the Hudson, and to the east an average of eight-tenths of a mile in breadth. Such, down to December 16, 1872, had been the various applications of the same." [Source: Sharf's History of Westchester County, New York, volume 2, page 1.]
The City of Yonkers was incorporated under an act of the State Legislature passed June 1, 1872.
See also Bryan Healy's Yonkers web pages which contain some history, an obituary index, and some other resources.
Vital Records
- City Clerk's Office
- City Hall, 40 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY
- Phone: 914-377-6020 or 914-377-6000
- City Courts
- 100 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY
- Phone: 914-377-6375
- County Records
For more information at a county level, see the NYGenWeb Westchester County Resources page as well as the main site page.
- Naturalizations
For an index of naturalizations within the county, see the web pages of the Westchester County Archives.
- NY State Vital Records
Since becoming a city, Yonkers has maintained its vital records and the New York State Dept. of Health will refer any inquiry back to the Yonkers City Clerk's Office. The web page for the New York State Dept. of Health can be found at http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/consumer/vr.htm. Also, check out the following web pages: http://www.vitalchek.com/us/ny.html
Also, see if there is any additional information on the Vital Records page at this site.
Newspapers for Vital Records
Newspapers are a great resource for finding obituaries, marriages, and birth announcements. Bryan Healy has placed an index of some obituaries from the Herald-Statesman newspaper on his website, as well as some marriages from 1939.
Some issues of The Herald-Statesman are also online at Old Fulton Post Cards for the years (1932 to about 1982). That web site also includes a search engine on all the text in the newspapers.
Historical Society
Yonkers Historical Society
- Addresses:
- Mailing Address:
Yonkers Historical Society
PO Box 190
Yonkers NY 10710
- Office Location:
the first floor
at the Grinton Will Library
1500 Central Park Avenue
Yonkers NY 10710
- Mailing Address:
- Their new phone number is 914-961-8940
- Their fax is 914-961-8945
- Holdings include: farm map for Yonkers circa 1862; city directories from the 1890s; and school yearbooks from the 1930s.
- web site: http://www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org
Don't overlook the many resources held at the Westchester County Historical Society.
Churches and Synagogues
- First Westminster Presbyterian Church
- 60 Northview Terrace, Yonkers, NY 10701; phone: 914-965-1201
- St. Michael's
- 21 Shonnard Pl, Yonkers, NY 10703-2410; Phone: 914-963-0209 and Fax: 914-969-6269.http://members.tripod.com/~cerkva/parishes/st_michael5.html
- Roman Catholic
- Roman catholic churches in Westchester county are under the juridiction of the Archdiocese of New York. You can search their parish listing at the following web page:
http://www.ny-archdiocese.org/pastoral/parishes.cfm
- Episcopal Churches -- New York
- See a list of Episcopal Churches in New Yorkhttp://www.episcopalchurch.org/webpages/p2.html#NewYork or use their Parish Finder search engine.
Cemeteries
Woodlawn Cemetery was founded in 1863 and by Jan. 14, 1865 there was one interment
Bryan Healy has also listed cemeteries located in Yonkers on his web site.
Transcribed Cemetery Inscriptions
Carretta, Katherine A., compiler. A Guide to Listings of Old Cemetery Inscriptions and other Genealogical Aids for Westchester County, New York. [Westchester County Historical Society, 1977]
Horton, William P. Cemetery Inscriptions of Westchester County, NY. [Peekskill, NY: 1928] Copy available at New York Public Library's Genealogical & Local History Room.
Manville, Margaret. Revolutionary War Soldiers buried in Cemeteries in Westchester County, New York. [White Plains, NY: 1966] Copy available at New York Public Library's Genealogical & Local History Room.
Spies, Francis F. Inscriptions copied from gravestones in West Chester County yards with genealogical notes. Copy available at New York Public Library's Genealogical & Local History Room.
The Westchester County Historical Society also has extensive manuscripts giving inventories of many old cemeteries located throughout the County. Also check with the local historical society for information about the above cemeteries.
Have you looked at the cemetery listings here at the Westchester NYGenWeb site?
Maps
Many town historical societies hold maps of their vicinities, including copies of the Sanborn insurance maps. Insurance maps were detailed to the point of showing each building on each street so that insurance companies knew what to pay the insurer in the event of fire or destruction. Be sure to inquire at such institutions as well as at local libraries.
Also, see additional information on the Maps page at this Westchester site.
Library
Yonkers Public Library
- Getty Square Branch, 7 Main Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
- Main Phone: 914-337-1500
- Holdings include city directories, newspapers on microfilm, and yearbooks of many schools in the city.
- There are two other library branches in Yonkers: one on Central Avenue and the other in Crestwood on Thompson Street. See their web pages for complete info.
City Web Site
- Yonkers home page: http://www.ci.yonkers.ny.us/ .
- Yonkers government pages are at http://www.ci.yonkers.ny.us/gov.htm .
Census Information
Fuller, Elizabeth Griffen. Index to Westchester County Names in the Federal Censuses, 1790-1840 [Elmsford: Westchester Cty. Historical Society] 1994.
New York State Census
The only NY State censuses which survived are for the years 1905, 1915, and 1925. Check at your local LDS Family History Center for these films. A listing of what towns can be found on which microfilm number can be viewed on the 1905 NYS Census page of this Westchester web site.
Federal Census
- Federal Census: 1790
- Yonkers
Some census information for Westchester county can be found at the Census page.
Directories
The Yonkers Historical Society has a number of city directories from the 1930s. The Yonkers Public Library also holds a number of city directories, newspapers on microfilm, and yearbooks of many schools in the city.
LDS Family History Centers also have some Yonkers City Directories on microfilm.
Also see the City Directories page on this Westchester Site.
Annotated Bibliography
If you know of other resources relating to this location, please please contact the county coordinator for this web site.about adding them to this page.
Allison, Charles Elmer. The History of Yonkers . [New York: Wilber B. Ketcham] c. 1896. Since Reprinted.
Fuller, Elizabeth Griffen. Index to Westchester County Names in the Federal Censuses, 1790-1840 [Elmsford: Westchester Cty. Historical Society] 1994.
Hall, Edward Hagaman. Philipse Manor Hall at Yonkers, NY: The Site, the Building and Its Occupants. c. 1925.
Pelletreau, William S., Am. M. Early Wills of Westchester County, New York 1664-1784 Pub. 1898. Cornell University Library has scanned this book and placed it on the web at the following address: http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/MOA/bookp.html
Walton, Frank L. Pillars of Yonkers. [NY: Stratford House] c. 1951.
Yonkers Board of Trade, Dept. of Publicity. Yonkers Illustrated. C. 1900
For other books containing information related to this town but covering a county-wide level, see the County section of the Bibliography page.
Cultural and/or Historical sites
Philipse Manor Hall
See more information regarding the Hall at the Philipse Manor page.
Renowned Residents
Yonkers, the home of the Plastic Age: the home of "Bakelite." For more information about Dr. Leo BAEKELAND, the inventor of "Bakelite," contact the Yonkers Historical Society and ask how you can receive a copy of their Spring 1997 newsletter.
Other Institutions of Genealogical Interest (i.e., schools)
Westchester County Genealogical Society
The Westchester County Genealogical Society has been publishing a series of articles in their monthly newsletter for some time which gives an overview of each town within the county. This Focus on Yonkers [WCGS Newsletter, February 1999] series includes a brief history of the town, a listing of some houses of worship, some cemeteries and often a bibliography. See the information about ordering back issues of the newsletter.
Military Info
See the Westchester in the Military for more information.
Loyalist Info
Perhaps the most widely known Loyalist family from Yonkers is that of Frederick Philipse, owner of Philipseburgh Manor. His Manor was confiscated in 1784 and the estate sold as directed by the Legislature of New York.
Picture Gallery
- Philipse Manor Hall
- The manor, built in 1682, is located in present-day Yonkers and is one of the oldest houses in southern Westchester County. The City of Yonkers used it as their first City Hall. To see two views of the Manor, click on either of the following:
Both of the above pictures are in the possession of this County Coordinator. No permission is granted to reproduce them.
Some Surnames associated with this town
- Philipse
- Van Cortlandt
The following are some links to surname web pages of researchers in Westchester but none specifically associated with this town/city/village. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nywestch/surnames.htm
Query & Message Boards
Rootsweb.com has Some Query boards where you can post a query for others to view. Or join the Westchester mailing list and correspond with other Westchester researchers.
Return to Westchester County's Town Index page.
Return to the main page for Westchester County at NYGenWeb.
Return to the NYGenWeb web site.
© 1996-2011 Cathy Horn. All rights reserved.
This web site was designed by and has been exclusively maintained since November 1996 by Cathy Horn.