NYGenWeb
Westchester County, NY
Westchester County, NY
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Westchester County, NY |
This page was last updated: Saturday, 28-Dec-2002 15:09:58 MST
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.
For more information at a county level, see the NYGenWeb Westchester County Resources page as well as the main site page.
For an index of naturalizations within the county, see the web pages of the Westchester County Archives.
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.
Don't overlook the many resources held at the Westchester County Historical Society.
If you have any such information relating to this location, please contact the county coordinator at chorn@bestweb.net about adding it to this page.
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?
If you know of any information relating to this location, please contact the county coordinator at chorn@bestweb.net about adding it to this page.
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.
Fuller, Elizabeth Griffen. Index to Westchester County Names in the Federal Censuses, 1790-1840 [Elmsford: Westchester Cty. Historical Society] 1994.
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.
Some census information for Westchester county can be found at the Census page.
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.
If you know of other resources relating to this location, please contact the county coordinator at chorn@bestweb.net 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.
See more information regarding the Hall at the Philipse Manor page.
If you have any such information relating to this location, please contact the county coordinator at chorn@bestweb.net about adding it to this page.
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.
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.
If you know any additional information relating to this town, please contact the county coordinator at chorn@bestweb.net about adding it to this page.
See the Military & War Links page for more information.
As we find information relating specifically to this town, we'll post it here. If you have any such information or know of other web pages to link to, please contact the county coordinator at chorn@bestweb.net with particulars.
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.
Have you a Loyalist in your family tree? If so, the Loyalist page may be of interest to you. If you have any specific information relating to this town and loyalists, please contact this county coordinator at chorn@bestweb.net about adding the information to this page.
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.com/~nywestch/surnames.htm
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.
© 1996-2002 Cathy Horn. All rights reserved.
This web site was designed by and has been exclusively maintained since November 1996 by Cathy Horn.
