Archives for local history

People & Stories Oral History Project: Andy Morzello

People & Stories Oral History Project: Andy Morzello

Andy Morzello's story is one of education, service, and commitment to White Plains.  As a teacher of adults and young people, he had a large impact on the people of White Plains.  In this oral history, he remembers growing up in the neighborhood surrounding Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, being encouraged to pursue higher education by a caring teacher, and running the adult education program in White Plains.  He remembers White Plains before urban renewal, discussing the people as much as the landscape.  Morzello continues to be active in White Plains, especially in efforts to keep Our Lady of
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June 10, 2015 4:41 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History and Oral History.
Tags: Andy Morzello, education, Fisher Avenue, Italian-American History, local history, oral history, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, People & Stories, and white plains schools.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Brian Wallach

People & Stories Oral History Project: Brian Wallach

In the first oral history recorded for People & Stories, consummate storyteller and long-time White Plains resident Brian Wallach shares his memories and perspective.  This oral history was recorded at the offices of the Brian Wallach Agency. Wallach grew up just south of the city line in Scarsdale and remembered his mother's work in the real estate business in that area- including a story about her most famous client, Al Jolson.  He also spoke about changes in White Plains' physical and social landscape during his lifetime.  As a founding member of White Plains Beautification Foundation, much of Wallach's service to
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June 3, 2015 4:58 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History and Oral History.
Tags: Brian Wallach, history, local history, oral history, People & Stories, Urban Renewal, White Plains Beautification Foundation, and white plains history.

June History Roundtable: Dr. Collymore’s 1964 Speech

June History Roundtable: Dr. Collymore’s 1964 Speech

The next White Plains History Roundtable will take place on June 17 at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium at the White Plains Public Library!  The Roundtable will feature a reading of Dr. Errold Collymore's 1964 Howard University Alumni Award Speech by White Plains resident Ted Lee, Jr. and Errold Collymore's son, James L. Collymore. Dr. Errold Collymore was a prominent black professional and trailblazing civil rights leader in White Plains from the 1920s to the 1970s.  When he first arrived in White Plains, he recalled that it felt like “living in some southern town.”  Black residents in White Plains faced
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June 2, 2015 11:30 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: civil rights, collymore, history roundtable, local history, and white plains collection.

White Plains History Roundtable: Education, Race, and Student Consciousness

White Plains History Roundtable: Education, Race, and Student Consciousness

Join the Librarian for White Plains History and current students from White Plains High School for the White Plains History Roundtable on Wednesday, April 22nd, at 7:00 pm. April’s Roundtable is called Education, Race, and Student Consciousness. The Roundtable is an educational, participatory, and social event where participants learn about events from White Plains' past, examine primary source materials from the White Plains Collection, and engage in discussion with each other. April's Roundtable will focus on White Plains High School Students' call for racial justice in 1968 and also examine how White Plains' tradition of progressive education combined with its
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April 17, 2015 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: adults and local history.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Milton Hoffman

People & Stories Oral History Project: Milton Hoffman

During his 86 years, Milton Hoffman was an important presence in White Plains. Hoffman grew up in White Plains and recalls what life was like for kids in the city in this oral history. He also recounts experiences from his 50 years in the newspaper business in White Plains, where his reporting on politics earned him respect from people throughout the county and state. This oral history is in two parts- after the first interview concluded, Hoffman began recounting the history of White Plains' Jewish community, and the recorder was turned back on to capture more of his insightful perspective.
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April 13, 2015 4:14 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History and Oral History.
Tags: Jewish History, Journalism, local history, Martine Avenue, Milton Hoffman, Newspapers, oral history, People & Stories, Reporter Dispatch, and white plains history.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Harry Bright

People & Stories Oral History Project: Harry Bright

People & Stories is the oral history project of the White Plains Public Library. People & Stories seeks to record and share the voices of people who have lived or worked in White Plains. The project functions by pairing interviewers with storytellers from the community. If you are interested in becoming an interviewer, we have our first training event on Saturday, April 18, from 10:30 am- 12:00 pm at the Library. Harry Bright's work as an educator took him around the world, from Cambodia to Europe, and, of course, to White Plains. Bright worked as a teacher and coach at
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April 1, 2015 4:31 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History and Oral History.
Tags: African-American History, Black History, education, Harry Bright, Human Rights Commission, local history, oral history, People & Stories, and white plains history.

Battle of White Plains Commemorations Have Their Own History and Purpose

Battle of White Plains Commemorations Have Their Own History and Purpose

On Sunday, October 26, I attended the White Plains Historical Society's 238th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of White Plains at the Jacob Purdy House. Drawn by the promise of reenactors, mulled cider, and the chance to meet some White Plains citizens who are fascinated by history, I arrived before the ceremonies. This gave me the chance to walk around in the Purdy House (whose ceilings are higher than I expected) and talk with soldiers who had set up camp on the property. Present were members of the 6th Connecticut Regiment, who refer to themselves as a Living History Organization;
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November 17, 2014 3:36 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Homepage and Library News.
Tags: collection, local history, and white plains.

Then and Now — A Virtual Exhibit

Then and Now — A Virtual Exhibit

Then and Now is an online exhibit in celebration of the American Library Association's Preservation Week, observed by libraries nation wide, April 21-27. Preservation Week was created in 2010 because some 630 million items in collecting institutions require immediate attention and care. Eighty percent of these institutions have no paid staff assigned responsibility for collections care; 22 percent have no collections care personnel at all. Some 2.6 billion items are not protected by an emergency plan. As natural disasters of recent years have taught us, these resources are in jeopardy should a disaster strike. Personal, family, and community collections are
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April 22, 2013 7:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: all ages, collection, local history, and services.