Archives for american history

Local History: The Hudson River

Local History: The Hudson River

The Hudson River shapes nearly every area of our lives in some way: from topography, patterns of human settlement, and military decisions to energy production, human health, commerce, and culture. This summer, impress your fellow travelers with some knowledge about the Hudson Valley and the Hudson River gained from the White Plains Collection. Below is a bibliography of historical and contemporary titles from many different genres and eras.   Histories: Narrative, Revolutionary, and Social The Hudson from the Wilderness to the Sea by Benson J. Lossing (1866): A wonderful, illustration-rich vintage title donated by former White Plains librarian Clara F.
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June 22, 2017 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: american history, architecture, art history, ecology, environmentalism, historic houses, historic sites, hudson river, hudson river valley, hudson valley, local history, nature, recreation, Revolutionary War, rivers, tourism, travel writing, white plains collection, and white plains history.

Local History: Murals

Local History: Murals

As the renovations continue and you rediscover the main floor of our library, we hope you look up–you'll see three unique murals. Hung high over the east wing (sit back in one of our new lounge chairs!) are murals by two artists who called White Plains home: Edmund F. Ward and Stanley P. Klimley. That's Klimley on the left standing in front of his mural when it was still in the lobby of the White Plains Hotel (image courtesy of the Westchester County Historical Society). Check out information on the artists and their works below!   White Plains resident and
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June 12, 2017 3:42 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: american history, art and artists, battle of white plains, dorothy klimley, edmund f ward, edmund franklin ward, historical murals, local-history, murals, Revolutionary War, rip van winkle, stanley p klimley, the legend of sleepy hollow, washington irving, white plains collection, and white plains history.

Local History: WWII & the OPA

Local History: WWII & the OPA

On April 11, 1941, FDR signed an executive order creating the Office of Price Administration.The Reporter Dispatch wrote that the purpose of the OPA was the “protection of the consumer” and to make supplies available to the public “after military needs are met.” Many goods were rationed during World War II, including sugar, meat, coffee, building materials, and gasoline. The OPA issued ration books to individuals a number of times during the war. Below are two examples of ration coupons for heating oil that were donated to the White Plains Collection by Library Trustee Paul Schwarz. They show the address
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May 27, 2017 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: air raids, american history, blackouts, brendan gill, chauncey griffen, edward schirmer, local history, office of price administration, opa, ration board, the new yorker, thomas holden, white plains collection, white plains history, and world war ii.