The History of Yonkers, NY

Yonkers is a fast-growing metropolitan city located in New York City’s back yard. Dubbed the “City of Seven Hills“, Yonkers is home to over 200,000 residents and is considered one the most auspicious inner suburbs of the economic powerhouse that is New York City. In recent years, the city has also emerged as a top destination for shoppers and tourists thanks to its many unique attractions, rich cultural heritage, a bustling shopping scene and prominent historical landmarks.

Yonkers was established by Dutch colonists in the early 18th-century as part of the so-called Colen Donck land grant. In 1645, the same land was issued to Adriaen van der Donck, the man responsible for most of the city’s earliest developments. Van der Donck was nicknamed Jonkheer by locals, a Dutch term that roughly translates to “young gentleman.” It is from this nickname that the name Yonkers was derived. Van der Donck established the area first sawmill near today’s Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. Unfortunately, he was killed during a Native American attack on Dutch settlers, widely known as the Peach War.

After the war had died out, Van der Donck’s land fell in the hands of a rich Dutch immigrant by the name Frederick Philipse. His estate included the area that would become todays Yonkers City and several other neighboring communities. His part-time home, the Philipse Manor Hall, is currently the oldest existing building in Westchester County.

For over two centuries, Yonkers remained a prosperous farming community with a small but actively growing industrial sector. Eventually, enough industries were constructed to transform the area into a manufacturing hotspot. It’s during this era of industrialization that the Otis Elevator Company and the Alexander Smith and Sons Carpet Company were established. The latter went on to become an internationally recognized carpet manufacturer.

Yonkers was officially chartered as a village in 1854 before being incorporated as a city 18 years later. There was a failed attempt to make Yonkers part of the Greater City of New York in 1898 although some sections of the city had already been annexed to the Bronx Borough a few years earlier.

Today, Yonkers has again evolved into a commuter town with most of its residents working in New York City. The manufacturing industry has since been replaced by a commerce- and tourism-based economy. The city is expected to grow and attract even more investors in the coming years as it offers a more friendly business environment when compared to New York City.