History of Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York and is built on land that once included the 24,000 acre Colen Donck land grant. Colen Donck was bought in the mid-17th century by scholar, author, and lawyer Adriaen van der Donck. He was also known by his German name Jonker, which is where the city’s name “Yonker” comes from.
For two centuries, Yonkers remained a small community mostly devoted to farming, until it became a manufacturing center. One of the cities first major developments came along in 1853 with Elisha Otis’s invention that introduced the world to safety elevators. The first factory to manufacture elevators was the Otis Elevator Company, which operated out of an office that lay on the Hudson River bank.
During the late 19th century, Yonkers hosted 45 buildings of the Alexander Smith and Sons Carpet Company and the city produced thousands of quality carpets, propelling the company and the city to the title of the world’s top carpet-producing centers.
The small community became a village during 1854 and was once again promoted, this time to become a city, quickly after that in 1872. Today’s South Bronx originated from the town’s southern region.
The city continued to be innovative and the site of great inventions, including the nation’s introduction to the golf course in 1888: St. Andrew’s Golf Club, founded by Scottish immigrant John Reid. The city was also home to Edwin Howard Armstrong, the man who transmitted the first FM radio broadcast from Yonkers in 1940.
Yonker’s boom continued until 1945, when the city unfortunately slowed down its manufacturing. The famous carpet mill of the 19th century gradually decreased its productivity until it had to stop all of its operations completely in 1954. Similarly, the world-changing elevator factory had to close its doors, though it endured until 1983. Throughout the century, the city of Yonkers became much more residential, shedding its industrial identity due to job losses.
Yonkers is home to several attractions including the Hudson River Museum, the Sherwood House, and Yonkers Raceway. It is also home to the Science Barge, an itinerant floating science museum. There are also many large shopping areas along Central Park Avenue, and other shopping centers including the Cross County Shopping Center the and Ridge Hill Shopping Center.
A revitalization project proposal has been designed for Yonkers to increase economic viability. This proposal aims to build extensive luxury housing and a commercial and retail space throughout the downtown area and the waterfront, including a local stadium for Minor League Baseball and a New Yonkers Fire Department Headquarters Building. With cost projections at $3 billion, the revitalization would be one of the largest of its kind within the New York Metropolitan Area.
Yonkers Driving Stats
According to the city’s law enfocement officers, Yonkers has an annual average number of property crimes that stands at almost 3,000. Of these 3,000 property crimes, almost 9% are auto thefts.
In addition, it is projected that future years would see a 20% increase in property crimes.
Aside from property crimes, modern drivers in Yonkers must also deal with vehicular collisions on the roads. Below are average annual counts of certain fatal vehicle-related collisions in Yonkers:
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- Fatal accidents: 8
- Vehicles involved in collisions that result in fatal accidents: 15
- Fatal accidents that result from drunk drivers: 2
- Persons involved in collisions that result in fatal accidents: 25
- Pedestrians involved in collisions that result in fatal accidents: 1
Knowing these statistics, it’s vital that you have good and reliable auto insurance whenever you drive. You can easily find cheap Yonkers car insurance by entering your zip code into the form at the top to begin comparing auto insurance quotes.