In 1646 Adriaen Van Der Donck bought the land from the Harlem River up to
what is now the Yonkers-Hastings line. He was referred to as the young gentleman, die
jonkeer (“j” is pronounced “y” in Dutch) and this
land was referred to as die jonkheer’s. It was known as The
Yonkers until it was officially designated a town in 1788. Yonkers was incorporated
as a village in 1855. Kingsbridge was set off from Yonkers in 1872 when it
became a city. Yonkers' strategic location along the Hudson River fostered
its development into a major trading center and eventually the largest city
in the county. Its early settlers (including Native Americans, English and
Dutch) created a diverse community, a key element that continues today.
Documents, photographs and engineering drawings are exhibited on The
Historic American Engineering Record of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation. A section of the parkway forms the city's entire eastern border.
Visit the City of
Yonkers online
Incorporation Records of
St. John's Church,
1784
Police Dept. Records:
Records of the Metropolitan Police District, Precinct
32, 1866-1867
Police Dept. Records:
William H. Crough
Employment Records, 1894-1900
Map of Shonnard Park at Yonkers,
ca. 1875
Photographs of Glenview,
Estate of John Trevor,
ca. 1885 and 1895
Records Relating to
the Hollywood Inn,
1897 and ca. 1910
Leake and Watts Services, Inc.
Photograph Album,
1903-1907
Records of Veterans from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American
War and World War 1, and Cemetery Maps,
ca. 1930s
Records Relating to
the Sale of Alcohol,
1801-1879
Police Dept. Records:
Police Report,
Nov. 13, 1884
Police Dept. Records:
Photographs of Yonkers Police Department, 1895-1909
Otis Elevator Company's
Incorporation Records,
1883
Records of the Palisade Boat Club,
1891 and 1920
Philipse-Robinson Family Tree,
ca. late 19th century
"Park Hill Homes,"
1912