Skinners assaulting a family, from James Fenimore Cooper’s The Spy, published in 1821 by Wiley & Halsted. The American Revolution unleashed a tumultuous period in which families were caught in the crossfire between British forces and American Patriots. Families like the Yerks, residing in the Neutral Zone, experienced a unique set of challenges,

During the War of the Revolution, the County of Westchester, and particularly the lower towns (now forming the (Borough of Bronx or Bronck’s’[1]), was the prey of the foraging parties of both armies, as it lay directly between them and was permanently occupied by neither. Being common property to both parties, it was, therefore, called

This is a presentation I built for Christmas several years ago.  It may be hard to understand some of the slides without any context, but it is shared here in the interest of sharing information. https://www.icloud.com/keynote/0c62zm304e5m56AXVyTrWzkpg#Book_of_Life_-_The_Hayes_Family  

Sergent John Dean is Collen’s first cousin, 7x removed, and a well-known revolutionary patriot.  Johns's mother is Maritie Jurckse (Yerks), the daughter of Harmon Jurckse.  He is the patriot who reportedly hid behind a large rock on the upper portion of the  William Jurckse (Yerks) farm and attacked British troops as they marched up and

I vaguely remember visiting Philipsburg Manor as part of a school trip I went on when I was little. I didn't remember much about its history, but I definitely remembered it was there, across the street from the well-known Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.  I would never have imagined that I would marry someone with a direct

Philipsburg Manor in Westchester County was home to many Yerks families, including Colleen's 6th great-grandparents. I grew up in Westchester County, knowing little about Westchester's role in the revolution. But through genealogy, I have learned that my children's ancestors were right there at ground zero and were known as Patriots of the cause. In

1 – A Yerks A Yerks > William Brook Yerks (Mary) > William Yerks (Catherine) Location: Rosedale Nursery, Saw Mill Road, Hawthorne, New York  Most likely, the site of the farmhouse that Catherine See & William Yerks (my wife’s 6th great grandparents) and their ancestors lived in while tending the 300-acre family farm in

A 1940 map of the Eastview area overlaid on a 1925 map of the same area show exactly how the Saw Mill Parkway was paved over the Eastview Almshouse Cemetery.   SAW MILL RIVER PARKWAY TRAFFIC ROLLS ON GRAVES OF PAUPER DEAD Only one headstone remains standing at County's Old Burial Ground at

Before The Eastview Complex.... Typically, responsibility for the care of indigents, the insane, orphans, and abandoned children were held by the individual towns of Westchester County. But in the early 1800s, several towns recognized the need for something better and found that by sharing resources, they may be able to care for more people and

In this aerial photograph, you can clearly see where the old Westchester County Almshouse Complex stood. In the overlaid picture, the two foremost buildings can be seen in the red circle. You can also see the Almshouse cemetery on the other side the old Putnam (Ole Put) railroad tracks before is was buried beneath

Many historic things happened in this area during the revolutionary war. It is hard to appreciate it with the land have undergone so may signifiant infrastructure changes. But this overlay of a 1922 digital map of the area, overlaid on top of a 1925 arial photo of the area will help you understand better