Collection: Yonkers Home News, 1941-1946

Description: The Yonkers Home News was published between June 17, 1941 and January 29, 1946 and sent to more than 15,000 service members around the world during World War II, sharing local Yonkers news vignettes and social history. The Yonkers Home News was published during the time the Alexander Smith & Sons Carpet Company was the largest employer in Yonkers. The factory, established in 1865, was a major employer until the company left the city in the mid-20th century. During its existence, the company drew generations of immigrants from Eastern and Western Europe to settle in Yonkers, and many of those descendants still live in the area. After World War II, the company left Yonkers in 1954, leaving thousands unemployed and contributing to economic decline in the area for the latter part of the 20th century. The factory buildings and workers’ housing remained standing and were named a national historic district in 1983. The Yonkers Home News offers a treasure trove of information on the people and culture of Yonkers, designated by the National Park Service in 2023 as a World War II American Heritage City for New York State.