YONKERS, a city of Westchester county, New York, U.S.A., on the east bank of the Hudson river, adjoining New York city on the north and facing the Palisades. It is served by the New York Central and electric railways, motor-bus lines, a ferry to Alpine, N.J., and river steamers. Pop. (1920) 100,176 (26% foreign-born white) ; 1930 U.S. census 134,646. Yonkers is an important manufacturing city as well as a popular residential suburb. The total output in 1927 of the 115 manufacturing establishments in the city was $107,998,209. In the heart of the business district stands the Philipse Manor-hall (built in 1682 and enlarged in 1745), one of the best examples of colonial architecture in America, now maintained as a State museum. In the northern part of the city (Glenwood) are the old Colgate mansion and the home of Samuel J. Tilden. There are many beautiful residential districts, commanding delightful views.
An Indian village (Nappeckameck) stood on the site of Yon kers, at the mouth of the Nepperhan creek, when the Dutch founded New Amsterdam, and the territory was within the "Keskeskick Purchase," acquired from the Indians by the Dutch West India company in 1639. In 1646 it was included in the
large grant extending from the Hudson to the Bronx river. made to Adrian van der Donck, the first lawyer and historian of New Netherland. He encouraged settlers to come in, built a saw-mill near the mouth of Nepperhan creek (or Saw-Mill river), and soon the settlement came to be known as De Jonkheer's Land (the estate of the young lord), from which the name of Yonkers was gradually evolved. Later much of the estate passed into the hands of Frederick Philipse, who in 1682 built for his son the manor house mentioned above. This mansion was confiscated in 1779, as the Frederick Philipse of that time was suspected of Toryism. It came into the possession of Yonkers in 1867, and was used as the city hall from 1872 until it was bought by the State in 1908. Early in the Revolution Yonkers was occupied for a time by part of Washington's army and was the scene of several skirmishes. In 1854 the manufacture of elevators was begun in Yonkers by Elijah G. Otis. The village was incorporated in 1855 and in 1872 it became a city. Pop. (188o) 18,892.