100th Anniversary of World War I

100th Anniversary of World War I

100 years ago today, on April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany.

Like other communities across the country, New Rochelle residents did their part to support the Americans fighting overseas by raising money for liberty bonds, buying War Stamps, mobilizing Red Cross volunteers to make bandages, conserving food and energy, and lending patriotic fervor to boost morale.

Unlike other American municipalities, New Rochelle’s World War I years were unique:

1. Fort Slocum, the country’s largest military recruiting depot east of the Mississippi, was located just off New Rochelle’s shore on Davids Island.
2. New Rochelle was home to a great number of the nation’s leading illustrators, many of whom lent their talent to the earliest, largest propaganda campaign the world had ever experienced.
3. The community’s historic ties to France and our “Mother City” of La Rochelle led to a wartime bond between the two cities, and an enormous war relief effort.

A hard cover book, New Rochelle: Her Part in the Great War, was published by resident Conde B. Pallen, the publisher of the Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1920. It included “historical and biographical sketches of individuals and organizations who rendered valuable service to their country during the great World War.” Two thousand copies were printed before the type was destroyed. Fortunately, a scanned version can be found on-line today. Copies are also available for viewing in the Library’s E.L. Doctorow Local History Room. The book concludes with a listing of New Rochelle men who served in the war and a listing of all those who died in WWI active duty. Scans of those pages can be viewed here. We’ve also included an annotated list of the New Rochelle men and the one woman who died while in active duty, can be found here.

Photographs of many of those who died in active duty are part of the Library’s Local History collection. Forty metal plate photographs of New Rochelle men killed in World War I were first exhibited at the former New Rochelle Public Library, on Main Street and Pintard Avenue, in 1938. The plates were created from professional studio portraits. In some cases, military uniforms were “added.”  In 2010 the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library provided a grant to have digital reproduction made of the plates, and to have the plates professionally conserved. The digitized images, as well as scanned images of the original studio portraits can be seen here.

Barbara Davis, now City Historian, wrote an article about a unique and highly significant WWI event that occurred in New Rochelle in December, 1918. Click here to read her articles, which appeared in the Standard Star newspaper on December 15 and 22, 1994.

For fun, we thought we’d share a few recipes from the “Women’s Club of New Rochelle War Time Cookbook.”  Liver Balls or Baked Beef Heart, anyone?  A hard copy of the cookbook is part of the Library’s Local History Collection.

Lou Gehrig's New Rochelle Wedding

Lou Gehrig's New Rochelle Wedding

On this day, September 29, in 1933, New Rochelle resident and Yankee great Lou Gehrig married Eleanor Twitchell in their 5 Circuit Road apartment in New Rochelle.  Why did the celebrity choose his apartment for the big day? This is one of New Rochelle best stories!

From baseball-fever.com

Although the rugged, handsome bachelor was one of the most eligible bachelors of the day, his mother, “Mom” Gehrig, held the apron strings tightly. When she wasn’t in the kitchen cooking-up fried chicken and pickled eels for her son and his teammates, she was with her son at batting practice, games at Yankee Stadium, spring training camp, or on road trips. She kept a tight control on who he could – or most of the time, couldn’t date. 

In the ninth year of his career, at the age of 29, Gehrig fell head over heels for a young Chicago sophisticate, Eleanor Twitchell. That year, during the World Series against the Cubs, “Gehrig was a ball team by himself,” Fred Lieb wrote in Baseball as I Have Known It. “He had nine hits, including three home runs and a double. He scored nine runs and drove in eight. All Chicago, including Eleanor Twitchell, thrilled at this outstanding performance. The next thing we heard, Lou and Eleanor were engaged.”

“Mom” Gehrig was not happy. But, as Lou told Lieb, “She broke up some of my earlier romances and she isn’t going to break up this one.” Twitchell found an apartment at 5 Circuit Road, not far from the Gehrigs’ Meadow Lane home, and began planning her wedding – a small but “classy” affair that was to be held at the Long Island home of her aunt and uncle. The event was slated for the evening after the last game of the 1933 season, on September 29th.

On the day before the wedding, amid crates of furniture, the bride-to-be was unpacking moving boxes and supervising workmen at the Circuit Road apartment. “Suddenly, Lou came rushing in and tossed a bombshell in the middle of the mess,” she wrote in her autobiography. “. . . his mother had gone berserk . . . And this time, he didn’t fumble the ball. He picked up the phone, called the mayor of New Rochelle, and told him to bring a marriage license and make it fast.” 

Mayor Walter C.G. Otto did, accompanied by the roar of motorcycles driven by New Rochelle’s finest. With plumbers, carpet-layers and cops watching “at strict military attention,” Otto “intoned the words that made this unlikely looking couple man and wife. One day early.” After a toast with tepid champagne, the newlyweds were escorted to Yankee Stadium by the motorcycle caravan. Gehrig announced the marriage to the press, donned his pinstripes and played an errorless game against the Washington Senators.

Contributor: Barbara Davis, City Historian and Community Relations Coordinator at NRPL. 

Olympics: New Rochelle's Stars

Olympics: New Rochelle's Stars

If you had the pleasure of reading The Boys in theBoat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, or catching the PBS documentary, The Boys of '36 that aired on August 2^nd, then you are well-familiar with the thrilling story of the eight-man rowing crew that won the gold in the 1936 Olympics.

How about the story of the Boys of ’24?

"Paris, July 17: Yale's eight stalwart sons raised the Stars and Stripes to the masthead on the Seine banks this afternoon by scoring a victory which proved them unquestionably the finest rowing eight at present in the world," concluded the New York Times on July 18, 1924.

"Yale Crew Rides to Easy Victory in Olympic Race.' Wonder Crew,' with Miller of Larchmont and Stoddard of New Rochelle Seated, Sets New Record for Course," headlined the Evening Standard of July 17, 1924.  The U.S.A. "dream team" of the Eighth Olympiad, held in France, was the eight-oared Yale crew coached by Ed Leader and captained by a 6'1" twenty-two year old, James Rockefeller, of the prominent Rockefeller family. Lester Miller, a 6'2" twenty-year old from Larchmont pulled from the third seat. The tallest member of the crew, at 6'4", was a Yale junior by the name of Benjamin M. Spock, who would become the world famous baby doctor. As is the norm, the shortest member was the coxswain, who was 5”1” tall and weighed 108 pounds. The twenty year old was Laurence (Larry) Stoddard, of New Rochelle.

"It was a remarkably adaptable crew," the New York Times stated in post-race commentary. "It had speed, it had power, it had endurance, it had oarsmanship and courage. It was a combination that rowed with its head and heart as well as its arms, legs and back…”

With a Yale contingent and Stoddard's father cheering from the banks of the Seine, the "eight well-trained oarsmen answered the coxswain's call at each stroke," as reported in the Evening Standard. "The precision of the drive," along the four-mile course, "was a wonderful thing to watch - as the shell came hurtling out in front to leave a growing gap of open water between the Blue and the unbeaten Canadians, who were completely outclassed." The winning time was 6 minutes, thirty-three seconds.

(For an up-close and personal account of the "wonder crew's" Olympic experience, check-out Spock on Spock: A Memoir of Growing Up with the Century.  The 1985 autobiography by Dr, Spock recalls the entire adventure, which began as an eight-day, first-class voyage aboard the S.S. Homeric.)

P.S. Larry Stoddard was not the only New Rochelle native to bring home the gold from the 1924 Olympics!  While the rowing completion was playing out on the Seine, Westchester tennis star Vincent Richards had "fought his way into the semi-final round in the Olympic Tennis Tournament, men's singles, when he defeated Rene La Coste, the French star, in a thrilling five set match," reported in the Evening Standard of reported of the July 17^th match. The "boy wonder" from Yonkers went on to capture the gold medal in the men's singles - as well as in the men's doubles. His partner in victory was Francis T. Hunter, from New Rochelle.

Wait, there's more! Next week: New Rochelle Gold in Swimming and Track & Field.

Contributor: Barbara Davis, Community Relations Coordinator @ NRPL and Local Historian. 

Alexander Jackson Davis - the New Rochelle Connection: Part II

 

Alexander Jackson Davis - the New Rochelle Connection

Part II

Last week, we highlighted the great architect’s works for Colonel Richard Lathers. This week: Two A. J. Davis houses that continue to grace New Rochelle.

Wildcliff

The Gothic Revival style cottage on the top of the hill overlooking Hudson Park was built in 1852. Originally called Overlook, it was the home of Cyrus Lawton and his wife, a member of the Davenport family for which Davenport Neck was named. Lawrence Montgomery Davenport, her father, commissioned A. J. Davis to design the home as a wedding gift to the newlyweds. Wildcliff, as it was renamed, was enlarged in 1865 and again in 1919, five years after it had been purchased by banker Julius Prince and his wife, Clara. In 1940, Clara Prince bequeathed her home and its one and a half acres of land to the City of New Rochelle. After having been utilized for city offices the building housed a variety of not-for-profit groups and functions: Wildcliff Youth Museum and then Natural Science Center (1963 – 1981), East Coast Performing Arts (Dec. 1986 – 1991), and Wildcliff Center for the Arts (beginning in 1992), and Fleetwood Stage (1999 - 2004). Wildcliff was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 2002. The interior of the building has not been used for several years; the exterior was restored with funds from the sale of adjacent property.

Sans Souci

The magnificent Gothic Revival-style villa at 157 Davenport Avenue, also designed by Alexander Jackson Davis, was completed in 1859. It was a 1½-story residence with a central gable-roofed section and flanking pavilions. Its original features include the lacy, curvilinear bargeboard, many windows, tall tripartite chimneys, an oriel window, and other details still seen today.  

Sans Souci, as the estate was named, was also built for Lawrence Montgomery Davenport. In 1865 he sold the house to W. W. Evans, who commissioned A.J. Davis to design a wing in 1871. In 1875 a 1-story wing, designed by Frederick H, Coles, was added to the north. The firm of Snelling and Porter enlarged the north and south wings to two stories. In 1922 the Evans family sold the property Leroy Franz, a founder of the First Westchester National Bank. Theodore Green, who served as a New Rochelle City Councilman, completed historically-appropriate restoration of the building in the 1970s and completed the process for 1980 National Register designation. In 2015 it was given local historic designation, which provides the property with the greatest level of protection.

Alexander Jackson Davis - the New Rochelle Connection

Alexander Jackson Davis - the New Rochelle Connection

Lyndhurst mansion, in Tarrytown, was profiled in the first episode of the new PBS series program, "10 Homes That Changed America," this past Tuesday evening. If you had the good fortune to tune in, you learned that William Paulding, a former mayor of New York City, hired architect Alexander Jackson Davis to design a Hudson River mansion that would be set apart from all others. And Davis delivered! Although a shocking and dramatic departure from the Colonial Revival styles popular in the period, the design of the 1838 Lyndhurst would inspire American Gothic mansions and cottages for decades to follow…including at least five in New Rochelle.

Alexander Jackson Davis designed at least three New Rochelle houses for Colonel Richard Lathers, who maintained a long friendship with the renowned architect. One of the houses would become the home of the famous artist Frederic Remington. To learn about these houses, read the below article written by City Historian Barbara Davis for The Preserver, a former publication of the New Rochelle Historical and Landmarks Review Board.

Two other Davis-designed houses are still standing, near New Rochelle’s Sound shores. You can learn all about them in next week’s Thursday Throwback!

 

Women's History Month: Women in New Rochelle's History

Women in New Rochelle's History 

In March, 1986, the New Rochelle Council on the Arts presented a groundbreaking, fascinating exhibit on important women in New Rochelle's history. Former Standard Star reporter June Schetterer researched and wrote an excellent booklet to accompany the exhibit. In honor of Women's History month 30 years later, we invite you to get to know some of the amazing women she profiled; click here to view a scan of “A Celebration of Women in New Rochelle's History.”

You can learn plenty more about New Rochelle's history in the E.L. Doctorow Local History Room on library's second floor! Discover more remarkable women in the New Rochelle Walk of Fame – right outside the library doors in Ruby Dee Park at Library Green.

New Rochelle Walk of Fame, Ruby Dee Park at Library Green

Secrets on the Shelves I

Secrets on the Shelves is a feature where we take a look at an interesting item that is located on the shelves of the New Rochelle Public Library’s collection.

Our first selection is in honor of Women’s History Month and it is located in the 800s on the 2nd floor. It is a book called The Plays and Poems of Mercy Otis Warren.  

Mercy Otis Warren was a female writer who wrote political propagandist poems and plays during the American Revolution. In a time where few women could read or write and those who could did not speak out, Warren spoke out in her plays and poems. In her work, she encouraged colonists to rebel against British rule and the infringement of their rights as citizens.

She corresponded with many of the Founding Fathers during the Revolution such as John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and future presidents George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Many men are responsible for shaping our nation, but there were also some women whose voices have since been forgotten by the general public. If you’re interested in Mercy’s work, this book can be found on the 2nd floor under the call number 818.109 W.  A biography on Mercy called The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation by Nancy Rubin Stuart is also located on the second floor in the biography section under “W” for Warren.

Contributor: David Torres, Librarian @ NRPL

In our Lumen Winter Gallery

Postcards of Historic New Rochelle

New Rochelle’s grand resorts, meandering shoreline, leafy neighborhoods, stately structures, and impressive Fort Slocum military base were captured in images for a multitude of postcards that traveled the world. The Golden Age of Illustration coincided with an important era in the Queen City’s history, as will be displayed in this exhibit of vintage postcards from the library’s local history collection. The exhibit of enlarged postcards provides a wonderful glimpse into the early 1900s, when New Rochelle was coming into its own identity as one of America’s premier suburban communities. 

My name is Mr. Bloom and I'm from New Rochelle

My name is Mr. Bloom and I'm from New Rochelle

The late great song parodist Allan Sherman mentions New Rochelle in "Shine On, Harvey Bloom," his very funny take on the popular Tin Pan Alley song "Shine On, Harvest Moon."  And speaking of harvest moons, the one tonight (Sunday, September 27th) will also be the first super moon lunar eclipse in 32 years!

The Ladies Man

The Ladies Man

Jerry Lewis appeared onstage at the RKO Proctor's theater here in New Rochelle on July 12th, 1961 for the opening of The Ladies Man, his second feature film as a director.  It was announced this week that Lewis has donated an extensive archive of his films, TV shows and other recordings to the Library of Congress, where the material will be available to researchers, historians and critics.

Find The Ladies Man in our collection, click here. 

Contributor: Chris Poggiali, Librarian @ NRPL.

NRHS: Class of 1951

NRHS: Class of 1951

One of the very best things about working in a library is that you have so many opportunities for interesting conversations with really great people. Wonderful stories are not only in books – they are with our patrons, our New Rochelle residents of today and yesterday. Add the fact that I also have the honor and privilege of being City Historian, and I could easily spend hours gathering information and tales from the people I encounter each day. If only there was an extra day in each week….  

Last week I did make the time to accept an invitation to hear stories from a group of terrific guys who grew up together in New Rochelle. This group of 12 - 15 or so get together at a local diner at least once a month. Not unusual? Well, these fellows come from all parts of the U.S. to enjoy some time together. And, at this particular lunch, all but two were members of NRHS Class of 1951! 

Pictured here, left to right standing: Richard (Boo) Wilkens,  Donald Gross, William (Bill) Billups III (’51 Class President),  Frank Adonetti, Donald Pinals, Arthur (Artie) Librett, William (Fuzzy) Farr, Murray Mendelsohn (Isaac E. Young High School Class of ‘41), David Garvin (NRHS Class of ’52). Kneeling in front: George (Bud) Ahrens and Armen Proudian.

Boo drove up from Westbury and Bud from Philadelphia. Fuzzy drove down from Mohegan Lake and Frank from Hopewell Junction. The rest still live locally – several are still in their hometown of New Rochelle. P.S. Last month Jesse Arnelle joined came from California to join the group!

Bud Ahrens brought along some memorabilia, which he kindly donated to the Local History Collection of the New Rochelle Public Library.

Some of the materials Bud donated. 

A special shout out to thank Artie Librett, who coordinates the monthly gathering. You can find Artie each Friday morning at NRPL, where he volunteers his time helping to process local history materials.

Do you have a group of NRHS classmates who still meet on a regular basis? We’d love to hear about it. 

Contributor: Barbara Davis, Community Relations Coordinator @ NRPL.

Recipes from 1945

Recipes from 1945

When Larry Sheldon, a librarian/archivist here at NRPL, came across this gem in our archives, he just knew it had to be featured on our blog. Compiled by the Women's Society of the North Avenue Presbyterian Church, 'The North Avenue Cookbook' contains several recipes from soups and salads to beverages and desserts. There's even a section on catering for groups of 200 people! These recipes are definitely worth taking a look at; a wise woman once said; "you can trust any recipe a person is willing to sign their name to." 70 years later, why not test some of the recipes from this cookbook for yourself? We've added some here so you may do just that, and stop by our Local History Room where you can see this most interesting piece of New Rochelle history. 

Fruit Punch

Tea Punch

 

Cream Cheese & Pear Salad

Cream of Corn Soup

Baked Crab Meat & Shrimp

Chocolate Icebox Torte

The Post-Thanksgiving Sandwich

White Bread Was Invented For The Post-Thanksgiving Sandwich

For your leftover-eating pleasure, we culled the sandwich-themed cookbooks in the library’s collection to find some over-the-top turkey sandwich recipes. Our findings? Slim pickings, when it comes to recipes for a reasonable and delicious turkey sandwich. The few recipes we found called for a host of ingredients and frying pan (spinning on the traditional “Monte Cristo”) or a summer’s day for barbequing and homemade coleslaw.

Perhaps New York Times food columnist Sam Sifton had it right when he told an interviewer, “The way it works with Thanksgiving leftovers is as follows: the best Thanksgiving sandwich is the first one that you eat. You eat it as soon as you get hungry again, in the kitchen, probably barefoot and when it’s dark. You open the fridge, adjust the light in the refrigerator and rip out some dark meat. You want a little dressing or stuffing…” (Sifton is the expert on such matters, by the way, as the author of Thanksgiving: How To Cook It Well. It’s a gem of a book – keep it in mind for next year!)

'wichcraft, by Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortúzar, did offer a good-looking turkey sandwich recipe that involved a Ciabatta roll, 3 pieces of cooked bacon, a few slices of avocado, good-quality mayonnaise, and the following tasty condiment. I might make this ahead next year and serve it with the main dinner – just so there will be some leftover for that first turkey sandwich.

Balsamic Onion Marmalade
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the onions appear dry. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until the onions are soft and dry. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the marmalade in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.

P.S. To learn the real story behind the invention of white bread, be sure to check-out this fascinating book: White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf. New Rochelle history lovers will find the book particularly interesting as the first packaged, sliced white bread was first mass produced (in 1910) by Ward Bakery. Yes, the same “Ward” as in New Rochelle’s Ward School and Ward Acres!

Contributor: Barbara Davis, Community Relations Coordinator @ NRPL and proud owner of 60+ cookbooks!