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Bethel Chapel, Croton |
Photograph by Gray Williams |
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The New Historian
 | The latest issue of The Westchester Historian is available for purchase. In honor of the centennial of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Mike Virgintino chronicles the history of this Roman Catholic order, which established its headquarters in Westchester County in 1912. |
View our Newest Online Exhibit!
"They Lived In Westchester" profiles some of our most notable residents—people who have worked in fields as varied as the arts, politics, and science to medicine, sports and entertainment. Kate Kelly began this project with six short biographies which featured in the Summer 2010 issue of The Westchester Historian. Latest entries include biographies of Norman Rockwell, Jerome Kern, and Elizabeth Custer.
Archives Debuts Digital Collection of Photographs and Maps
More than 9,000 historical photographs and maps stored in archival vaults have been digitized and placed online as part of the newly launched Westchester County Archives' Digital Collections. The historic documents are now available and are more easily searchable and accessible to residents.
The Hudson River Comes to the Virtual Archives
New section is most ambitious to date
What New York river was the site of battles waged during the American Revolution? Over what body of water did famed British actors Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh take seaplane lessons in the 1940s? Where was the home port for financier Jay Gould's palatial yacht? Where was the mothball fleet located after World War II? Read More
Special Program Available for Community Groups
In 2007 WCHS prepared a presentation called "From Wigwams to Corporate Headquarters: 400 Years of Westchester History." In 2010 another presentation was prepared; this one explores the many interesting, historic places to visit in Westchester County, from Lyndhurst to Saint Paul's Church. If you belong to a group and would like us to present one of these programs, just give us a call at (914) 592-4323 or contact us.
The Biography Index has been updated! Hundreds of new names are now available.
Check out our secondhand books list to see the huge new selection of Westchester related titles.
The Honorable Katherine Skinner Carsky Papers are now available to researchers. This collection should prove indispensable to researchers interested in the origins of affordable housing in Westchester County, the Bronx River Parkway Reservation, and the Westchester County Medical Center. Kay Carsky served on the Yonkers School Board from 1972-1977, and on the Yonkers City Council from 1980-1983. Elected by the 17th District to the County Board of Legislators in 1983, she served until her retirement in 2001. At various times she was vice chair of the board, chair of the Health and Hospitals Committee and chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. The Carsky Papers were arranged for WCHS by Field Horne.
Larry Auerbach, WCHS board member and dedicated volunteer, has officially completed processing of the Heely Collection. Rayella Heely, a lifelong resident of Mount Vernon and teacher in the Mount Vernon and Harrison schools for 40 years, amassed a tremendous collection of correspondence, photographs, diaries and personal papers in her lifetime. The Heely Collection is comprised of genealogical material relating to the Boyd, Douglass and Jones families and is particularly rich in photographs. Mrs. Heely died in 2001 at the age of 90.
WCHS is always looking to add to its collections so that we can better document Westchester County history. We are specifically interested in yearbooks from both colleges and high schools, city directories and telephone directories. Please contact us by phone (914) 592-4323 or contact us if you have items that you are interested in donating to our collections.
The Hudson River Comes to the Virtual Archives, Continued
If your answer to all these questions was "the Hudson River," then you've probably had a sneak preview of the latest section of Westchester County's Virtual Archives.
With the launch of "The Hudson River: A Voyage Through Time," the Westchester County Archives and the Westchester County Historical Society have completed their fifth and most ambitious collaborative effort online. Found at www.westchesterarchives.com and launched to coincide with New York Archives Month, the new offering focuses on the Hudson River and its impact on the county's development. The site even provides an opportunity to take a video voyage up the river from New York harbor to Peekskill in the year 1848.
On the website, the 11 Westchester communities that border the river provide rich historical records of those commercial, cultural, historical and recreational connections to the Hudson that have been part of their development over the past 400 years. Additionally, preservationists will find samples of historic buildings and places that have enduring value not only for understanding our local development, but also the nation's history. And, lastly, the site features the 1909 and 2009 commemorative celebrations of the New World explorations of Henry Hudson and the scientific breakthrough of Robert Fulton's steamboat that both settled the river valley and powered our growth in industry and commerce.
"The Hudson has often been called 'America's River' because of its connection to the Revolutionary War, West Point and, of course, the fact that New York City was founded on its banks and is a world capital of finance. But, this river's connection to Westchester County is no less noteworthy to us for an appreciation of our local history," stated Patty Dohrenwend, director of the Westchester County Archives. "We engaged noted Fordham University historian Roger Panetta to guide this website's exploration of the themes that are entwined with the river and the county's growth."
Katie Hite, executive director of the Westchester County Historical Society, noted that the public will especially enjoy the video version of an 1848 steamboat voyage up the river. This unique feature captures the feel and the sites that would have been available to a 19th-century day-tripper, just as the website provides unique insights to the 21st century web browser.
She added: "For years our archives and historical societies have safeguarded unique primary source materials. Now, thanks to the web, we can showcase these documents 24/7, in a user-friendly manner, thereby encouraging a far richer understanding of our past."
The new site, like the four other sections of the Virtual Archives, places unique and original materials in their historical context and provides many geographic references and tools for understanding the river communities and their unique pasts.
The Virtual Archives specifically aims to assist educators and their students to discover significant records pertaining to their own towns.
"This is a great tool for anyone wanting to know more about the county's rich history," said County Executive Robert Astorino.
As examples, Astorino pointed to the inclusion of the Crawbucky Tales that illustrate the folk history of shad fishermen near the Sparta section of Ossining, the village clerk's photograph albums that document the construction of Tarrytown's Tappan Zee Bridge in the mid -1950s, and the reproductions of Jasper Cropsey's Hudson River landscape paintings that highlight Hastings' most important artist.
"The Virtual Archives is one of the few government-sponsored websites in New York State to provide the public with immediate access to important historical documents," reports Marguerite Beirne, the county's chief information officer. "The County Archives, a unit within the Dept. of Information Technology, is proud to serve as the backbone and continuum of this initiative, and we hope the county's residents will enjoy it for years to come."
