Yonkers

Empire City Race Track in Yonkers: Some History

April 17, 2022 by Bill Orzell Leave a Comment

Early April saw New York State lawmakers adopt the 2022 budget and approve a plan to accelerate the siting of three new full casinos in the metropolitan New York area. This plan will see the casino licenses awarded to those able to cover the $500 million fee and be approved in a selection process.

The obvious first choice for one of the three sites is Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, and another possible location would be Empire City Casino in Yonkers.

Both locations for many years have successfully demonstrated their feasibility by conducting horse sports, and each of the casino facilities are managed by experienced operators, Resorts World at the Big A, and MGM at Empire City.

With Aqueduct in the Big Apple so well known, perhaps this is a good opportunity to delve into the origins of Empire City. [Read more…] about Empire City Race Track in Yonkers: Some History

Adriaen van der Donck: 17th Century Dutch Legal Rebel

March 18, 2018 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Julie Van Den Hout’s new book Adriaen Van Der Donck: A Dutch Rebel in Seventeenth-century America (Excelsior Editions, 2018) tells the compelling story of Adriaen van der Donck (1618–1655), whose fight to secure the struggling Dutch colony of New Netherland made him a controversial but pivotal figure in early America.

At best, he has been labeled a hero, a visionary, and a spokesman of the people. At worst, he has been branded arrogant and selfish, thinking only of his own ambitions.

The wide range of opinions about him testifies to the fact that, more than three centuries after his death, Van der Donck (after whose honorific Jonkheer, Yonkers is named) remains an intriguing character. [Read more…] about Adriaen van der Donck: 17th Century Dutch Legal Rebel

Historic Site Seeks Yonkers Immigration Stories

June 30, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is designing an exhibit about the rise of Yonkers as an immigrant city, set for a phased opening beginning in September 2016. From its start as a Lenape fishing village and Dutch patroonship, to the industrious peak of the 1900s, and into modern times, the growth of Yonkers can be attributed to the various ethnic groups that have settled in the area.

The site is seeking local first- and second-generation immigrants to assist with the creation of this exhibit. Interviews will be conducted on an ongoing basis through the remaining months of 2015. [Read more…] about Historic Site Seeks Yonkers Immigration Stories

Yonkers In The Twentieth Century

December 20, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Once known as “the Queen City of the Hudson,” Yonkers, New York, was an industrial powerhouse until the aftermath of World War II, when companies moved away and the city saw an increase in poverty.

The city built public housing to address the needs of its low-income Yonkers in the Twentieth Century residents, resulting in a nearly thirty-year court case that, for the first time in United States history, linked school and housing segregation. [Read more…] about Yonkers In The Twentieth Century

(Forgotten) Melting Pot: A Quadricentennial Discussion

October 2, 2009 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site will hold The (Forgotten) Melting Pot: A Quadricentennial Panel Discussion on Thursday, October 8, 2009 in an attempt to address the historic ethnic and cultural elements oftentimes lost within the “melting pot” of America.

The evening will tackle the transitional 17th century in New York, but will also look to other moments in history, from pre-history to modern day. Our panelists will discuss both the roles of and the cultural shifts within African American, Native American, Dutch and women’s groups.

Panelists will include moderator Daniel Wolff, author of How Lincoln Learned to Read: Twelve Great Americans and the Educations That Made Them, Sherrill Wilson, Ph.D., urban anthropologist and author of New York City’s African Slave Owners: A Social and Material Culture History, David Oestricher, Ph.D., author and curator of the current exhibit Lenape: Ellis Island’s First Inhabitants, Tom Lake, archaeologist and professor of anthropology at SUNY Dutchess Community College and Martha Shattuck, Ph.D., editor and researcher with The New Netherland Project.

At 6 p.m., guests are invited to bring in their American “found objects,” whether pre-historic fossils or African textiles, for friendly analysis by our panel members before the discussion. Art appraiser and consultant Louise Devenish will also be on hand to tell the stories of objects. At 7 p.m. we will begin our panel discussion, immediately followed by a Q & A session for the audience. At 8:30 p.m. a reception and book signing will be held. For further information, please call 914-965-4027 or visit our event information website, philipsemanorhall.blogspot.com. This event is free to the public, but donations are appreciated.

Philipse Manor Hall, a high-style Georgian manor house, was the seat of a 52,000-acre estate and home to three generations of the Lords of Philipsburg Manor. Built between c. 1680 and 1755, it is the site around which the City of Yonkers grew and developed. Philipse Manor Hall is located at 29 Warburton Avenue, at Dock Street, in Yonkers, and parking is available on site. The historic site is one of six state historic sites and 12 parks administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – Taconic Region: www.nysparks.com.