Park Commission Agenda, 1943-1961
Series 89
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically.

Agenda from Commission meetings.

Related records: Series 91, Park Commission Minutes, 1922-1962.

Park Commission Annual Reports, 1924-1953 (gaps)
Series 96
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically. View box and folder list.

Reports of the Commission which oversaw the development and maintenance of the County's parks and parkways between 1922 and 1962.

Related records: Series 91, Park Commission Minutes, 1922-1962; Series 97, Recreation Commission Annual Reports, 1925-1961 (gaps); Park Commission Photograph Collection, 1912-1961; Parks Department Lantern Slide Collection, c.1920-1935.

Park Commission Appraisal Commissioners Appeals and Minutes, 1927-1933, 1935
Series 105
5 cubic ft. Arranged numerically by proceeding. View box and folder list.

Minutes of the meetings of the Commission, whose task it was to set a fair price for land to be acquired by the County for parks and parkway development. The records include information about property values, land use, and buildings on the properties.

Related records: Series 103, Bronx Parkway Commission, Appraisal Commissioners, Minutes, 1916-1922; Series 116, Park Acquisitions, 1936.

Park Commission County Lands to be Released, ca. 1939
Series 386
1 volume.

Volume appears to have been used in 1939 to make calculations regarding highway, parkway, sewer and miscellaneous lands potentially to be released by the Westchester County Park Commission.

Park Commission Financial Reports, 1926-1932, 1937
Series 117
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically. View box and folder list.

Financial reports and audits, including some audits of Playland. Also includes an invitation to the opening of the Bear Mountain and Taconic parkways connecting the Bear Mountain Bridge to the Bronx River Parkway.

Park Commission Index to Condemnation Proceedings, ca. 1920s-1932
Series 385
1 volume.

Lists condemnation information, including individual/entity involved; sheet/parcel numbers; date authorized and other dates for activities related to condemnation including title closing date; highest appraisal amount; and sometimes additional notes for various parks and parkways in Westchester County. Does not include Bronx River Parkway.

Park Commission Indexes to Park and Parkway Deeds, ca. 1912-1970
Series 382
3 v. Numerically by deed number.

3 bound volumes, one for Bronx River Parkway deeds (maintained by the Bronx Parkway Commission, 1912-1924) and two for all other parkland and parkways (maintained by the Westchester County Park Commission, 1923-1970). The Bronx Parkway volume is arranged by deed number, although there is a small section without deed numbers for those parcels obtained through condemnation proceedings. The originals of the deeds that these volumes index are located in Series 350.

Park Commission Land Acquisition Name Index Cards, ca. 1920s-1940s
Series 381
1.90 cubic feet (approximately 11,000 cards). Alphabetically by last name, then alphabetically grouped by park and parkway. View box and folder list.

3 x 5 index cards with last name and first name (or entity name), project name and map sheet and parcel number for project. Also have random number (not deed number; perhaps number of transaction within project?). Most cards stamped “File Checked June 1942”. It is believed that the Archives has the property acquisition files being referred to in its unprocessed collections. The Bronx River Parkway is not included in this collection; a separate collection of index cards is available in Series 350 for its property acquisition records (Series 109).

Park Commission Land Record Cards, ca. 1914-1985
Series 380
5.5 cubic ft. (approximately 9,000 cards). Alphabetically by project, then by sheet and parcel number. View box and folder list.

8 x 5 Kardex cards used for recording data about purchase of land by Park Commission for county parks and parkways. Includes name and address for individual or corporate entity purchased from, when authorized to purchase, title policy number and issuer, condemnation proceeding information, deed date and number, amounts paid for property, if property ever ceded out of county control, and sometimes additional comments such as what happened to buildings on property, complications with sale, etc.

Related records: Series 116, Park Acquisitions, 1936; Series 149, Parks Department Property Records, 1923-1965 (bulk 1923-1939); Series 381, Land Acquisition Name Index Cards; Series 350, Park and Parkway Property Acquisition Deeds, ca. 1910s-1930s

Park Commission Minutes, 1922-1962
Series 91
43 v. Arranged chronologically. Indexed by Series 90.

Official minutes of the Commission which was founded in 1922 to oversee the development and maintenance of the County's parks and parkways. It merged with the Westchester County Recreation Commission in 1962 to become the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board.

Continued by: Series 93

Related records: Series 92, Recreation Commission Minutes, 1959-1960; Series 96, Park Commission Annual Reports, 1924-1953 (gaps).

Park Commission Minutes Index, ca. 1926-1960
Series 90
2 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically. Index to Series 91.

Park Commission Park Acquisition Records, 1936
Series 116
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically. View box and folder list.

Records of park acquisitions by the Park Commission. Records include acquisition costs, area measurements, and a listing of parks in the County summarized by town, city and village.

Related records: Series 105, Park Commission, Appraisal Commissioners, Minutes, 1927-1935; Series 149, Parks Department Property Records, 1923-1965.

Park Commission Payroll Books, 1931-1932, 1934-1941
Series 354
19 volumes. Arranged chronologically.

Bound volumes with payroll information from the late 1920s through 1931 (organized under the volume titled “1931”) and 1932 organized by individual name and including information such as address, title and position, and certain demographic information (such as age, marital status, whether or not had children, whether or not a citizen, and veteran status). In some instances the demographic information is not completed. For 1932 the records are divided into “Stagger Pay Sheets” for those in the laborer pay categories, and into Civil Service Pay Sheets for non-laborer professions, such as engineers, patrolmen, etc. Included in latter group is the pay sheet for Jay Downer, Chief Engineer of the Westchester County Park Commission. For the years 1934-1941, the pay sheets are arranged by week with listings by last name and including information on title and salary, as well as retirement system number.

Park Commission Real Estate Legislation and Data Collection, 1933-1944
Series 210
Less than 1 cubic ft. Unarranged. View box and folder list.

Includes copies of legislation, correspondence concerning legislation; facts and figures regarding real estate owned by Westchester County including land values, park revenues, parkway data such as traffic statistics and police service; and surveys and studies done by the Park Commission’s Real Estate Department.

Blue Mountain Reservation -- Reports and Photographs, 1933-1936
Series 277
Less than 1 cubic ft.  Arranged chronologically. View box and folder list.

Narrative reports relating to construction of Blue Mountain Reservation and Civilian Conservation Corp work there, and photographs of construction projects.

Bronx Parkway Commission Annual Reports, 1907-1925 (gaps)
Series 95
8 v. Arranged chronologically. View box and folder list.

Reports of the Commission which developed the Bronx River Parkway, America's first public parkway. The Commission, established in 1906, completed its work in 1925.

Related records: Series 94, Bronx Valley Sewer Commission Final Report, 1896; Series 96, Park Commission Annual Reports, 1924-1953 (gaps); Series 118, Bronx Parkway Commission Minutes, 1907-1925; Bronx Parkway Commission Photograph Collection, 1912-1924.

Bronx Parkway Commission -- Appraisal Commissioners Appeals, 1916-1924
Series 104
7 v. Arranged numerically by proceeding. View box and folder list.

Records of several appeals against the Commissioners of Appraisal. See Series 103 for further information.

Related records: Series 103, Bronx Parkway Commission, Appraisal Commissioners, Minutes, 1916-1922.

Bronx Parkway Commission -- Appraisal Commissioners Minutes, 1916-1924, 1928-1930
Series 103
14.6 cubic ft. Arranged numerically by proceeding. View box and folder list.

Minutes of the Commission, whose task it was to establish a fair price for the land to be acquired by Westchester County for the construction of the Bronx River Parkway. The records include information on property values, plot sizes, land use, building on the properties, and estimated future values.

Related records: Series 104, Bronx Parkway Commission, Appraisal Commissioners, Appeals, 1916-1924; Series 105, Park Commission, Appraisal Commissioners, Minutes, 1927-1935;

Bronx Parkway Commission Land Acquisitions, c.1906-1933
Series 109
40 cubic ft. Arranged geographically by sheet and parcel and by proceeding.

Beginning about 1906, and continuing through April of 1933, the Bronx Parkway Commission (and, after 1925, the County Park Commission) acquired 4,406 parcels of land for the construction of the Bronx River Parkway. These records contain correspondence, memos, maps, deeds, sales agreements, appraisals, court orders and reports. They contain information about rent rates, land values and other topics; many contain letters contesting the acquisition and value declared, as well as descriptions of the property and floor plans. These records pertain only to lands within the boundaries of Westchester County.

Series 350 (Park and Parkway Property Acquisition Deeds, ca. 1910s - 1930s) contains a set of index cards that can help access the records in this series (Series 109). The cards are arranged alphabetically by the individual or entity name from whom the land was purchased, and then indicates the specific map and parcel number involved.

Bronx Parkway Commission Minutes, 1907-1925
Series 118
4 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically. Some volumes indexed in front. Indexed by: Series 90.

Official minutes of the Commission which planned and built the Bronx River Parkway between 1907 and 1925.

Continued by: Series 91

Related records: Series 95, Bronx Parkway Commission Annual Reports, 1907-1925 (gaps); Series 152, County Elections and Appointments Records, 1907-1922, 1935-1981.

Bronx River Parkway Reservation - Historic American Engineering Record, 2001-2002
Series 254
3 cubic ft.  Arranged by number.

The Historic American Engineering Record, Bronx River Parkway Reservation collection consists of 124 photographs, 22 engineering drawings and a 126-page report. These items were the product of research and documentation by the HAER Bronx River Parkway Reservation project during the summer of 2001. The project’s mission was to enhance a scholarly understanding of the historical origins, engineering accomplishments, cultural significance and current conditions of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation.

Bronx River Parkway Plans, 1915-1920
Series 255
182 items.  Arranged by parcel number.

Topographical and road layout plans for the Bronx River Parkway for parcels 12 through 89.

Bronx Valley Sewer Commission Final Report, 1896
Series 94
1 v.

This report, by drawing attention to polluted conditions of the Bronx River, helped lead to cleanup of the river and construction of the Bronx River Parkway.

Related records: Series 95, Bronx Parkway Commission Annual Reports, 1907-1925 (gaps); Series 166, Bronx Valley Sewer Records, 1907-1911.

Bronx Valley Sewer Records, 1907-1916, 1939
Series 166
1 v. with index in front, plus 3 cubic ft.  Arranged chronologically. View box and folder list.

Records documenting the acquisition of four large sections of land (subdivided into many smaller parcels) by Westchester County for the Bronx Valley Sewer System.  Includes one summary volume and court records related to four cases with multiple defendants, by which most of the parcels were acquired.

Court records include reports, judgments, affidavits, bills of costs, orders, notices, decisions, memos, petitions, exhibits, exceptions, motions, opinions, correspondence, appraisals, briefs, appeals, and four volumes of testimony. Records contain names of owners; prices, sizes and dimensions of parcels; and map numbers corresponding to the parcels.

Also included in this series are court orders, reports, notices, affidavits, oaths, memos; and clippings pertaining to the acquisition of land for the Mount Kisco Sewer System, a project unrelated to the Bronx Valley Sewer System.

Related records: Series 94, Bronx Valley Sewer Commission Final Report, 1896.

Cross County Parkway Association Minutes, 1941-1948
Series 119
1.5 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically.

Minutes of the Association which was composed of members of the Westchester County Park Commission and which issued bonds, collected tolls, purchased land, constructed and maintained the Cross County Parkway. The Association, which was established in 1941, was disbanded in 1948 and its functions turned over to the Park Commission.

Continued by: Series 91

Elijah Miller House / Washington’s Headquarters Museum Records, ca. 1917-2011
Series 372
4.33 cubic ft. Arranged by type of record. View box and folder list.

Collection of materials relating to the operation of the Elijah Miller House / Washington’s Headquarters Museum assembled by staff of the Westchester County Parks Department who acted as curators at this historic house museum. Included are copies of a 2005 inventory of the collections at the house, which has photographs of the furnishings of the house at the time along with other information about the history of the house and its collections, maintenance, and operations; the guest registers for the house (primarily for the 1970s and late 1980s-early 1990s); the photographic collection from the house; and the documentary records from the house, which include a few deeds of gifts, correspondence, scholarly articles, newspaper clippings, brochures, teaching materials, and copies of inventories that had been conducted over the years. Issues of particular interest documented by the collection include the continued concern about the physical deterioration of the house and its collections and attempts to preserve it; the value of the house as a teaching museum for school groups, and the operation of the house by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Grade Crossing Elimination Records, 1925-1958
Series 115
3 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically. View box and folder list.

Blueprints, correspondence and maps concerning the elimination of crossings at grade on major thoroughfares.  Grade crossing elimination in Westchester County was part of a statewide initiative.  Records includes both approved and disapproved grade elimination sites.  Photographs of grade crossing projects are available in the Department of Transportation records held by the New York State Archives.

Miscellaneous Photograph Collection, ca. 1910-1940
Series 384
.167 cubic ft. Unarranged. View box and folder list.

Photographs from various Westchester County parks and parkways, as well as Parks Department personnel and not clearing belonging to other collections held by the Westchester County Archives. See the Park Commission Photograph Collection for more information about the majority of Park photographs.

Related records: Series 322, Parks Department Contact Sheets / Prints Collection, ca. 1930s-2006 (bulk 1980s-2006); Series 323, Parks Department Slide Collection, ca. 1973-2007 (gaps)

Mortgage Tax Records, 1906-1966
Series 121
57 v. Arranged chronologically.

Entries include information such as mortgagor and mortgagee, date of mortgage and maturity, appraised value of the property, amount of principal debt, and mortgage tax paid.

Related records: Series 86, Mortgages, 1755-1825; Series 282, Discharge of Mortgages, 1829-1853.

Mortgages, 1755-1861
Series 86
292 v. Arranged chronologically. Indexed by: Series 131.

Official copies of mortgages recorded by the County Clerk.

Mortgages Index, Mortgagor, 1680-1897
Series 131
22 volumes. Arranged alphabetically. Index to Series 86.

Index to mortgages arranged by mortgagor (borrower). Entries include names, date recorded and date satisfied.

Mortgages, Discharge of, 1829-1853
Series 282
10 v.  Arranged chronologically.

Recorded notices that mortgages have been paid. The notices typically give the date of the original mortgage and the liber and page number in which the original mortgage was recorded in. They do not provide the details (i.e. amount) of the original mortgage, however. Each volume has a name index in the front of it.

Motor Vehicles Division Miscellaneous Records, 1958, 1965-1982
Series 61
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically. View box and folder list.

Audits, budgets, building plans, memos, correspondence, and reports of the Division before its takeover by New York State.

Municipal Elections and Appointments Records, 1898-1978 (bulk 1937-1955, 1970-1972)
Series 153
3 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically by municipality. View by town and year or box and folder list.

Certificates of elections and appointments to office filed with the County Clerk. Includes some oaths of office.

Related records: Series 140, Elections and Canvasses Records, 1892-1921, 1936-1998; Series 152, County Elections and Appointments Records, 1907-1922, 1935-1981.

U 

V 

Veterans' Discharges, c.1920-1985
Series 87
199 v. Arranged chronologically. Access Restricted

Copies of honorable discharges filed with the County Clerk. Records generally include information such as name, age at enlistment, address, occupation, physical description, educational background, birthplace, service record, and citations. Discharges were filed at the option of the veteran. Although none of the discharges in this Series were filed until about 1920, some of them reflect service prior to that date.  Access to these records is restricted. Contact the Archives Reference Desk for additional information.

Related records: Series 11, Naturalization Petitions (1917-1919 petitions).

Veterans Peddler Licenses, 1955-1970, 1974-1983 
Series 324 
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically.

Application portion of license to peddle goods issued to veterans. Information on form includes name, address, nature of goods to be sold, branch of military discharged from and on what date. Not a complete set (starts with license number 3251). The licenses are stored in five groups, each of which has its own alphabetical name index. The collection also includes 2 sample completed licenses (one from the 1950s, one from the 1960s), and a few blank forms.

W 

Watershed Condemnation Proceedings, 1883-1917
Series 111
17 cubic ft. Arranged geographically.

Variety of records created by various boards and commissions appointed in Westchester County and New York City for the purpose of creating and maintaining a pure water supply for those regions. Included are minutes of meetings held by Commissioners of Appraisal who acquired the watershed lands, appeals to the State Supreme Court by land owners, descriptions and assessments of real estate, prices of materials and labor, property maps and plans of certain aspects of aqueduct excavation and construction.

Works Progress Administration Survey - Veterans' Cemetery Records, Revolution to World War I
Series 181
8,800 items. Arranged alphabetically. Online index available.

Index cards with biographical and service information for veterans (including soldiers and nurses) from the Revolutionary War through World War I buried in cemeteries located in Westchester County. Records were created by Works Progress Administration (WPA) in late 1930s; source(s) for information recorded for each veteran is unknown. Each index card contains such information as place and date of birth, record of service, commendations, hometown, cause and date of death, and burial site.  Amount of information available for each veteran varies. Series also includes maps of cemeteries in county with graves of veterans and war served in (although not name) marked. The maps correspond to the record numbers listed on the cards. Personal name index is available online along with an index of cemetery maps.

Related records: Series 87, Veterans Discharges, c. 1820-1985; Series 294 (see below), WPA Cemetery Survey Forms - Photocopies, 1928-1938.

Works Progress Administration - Veterans' Cemetery Survey Forms - Photocopies, 1928-1938
Series 294 
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically by cemetery.

Photocopies of original veteran survey forms used in creating the Works Progress Administration Cemetery Index, Series 181. Information is for cemeteries located in Bedford only. Originals are housed with the Bedford Town Historian.

Related records: Series 181 (see above), Works Progress Administration Cemetery Index.

Works Progress Administration Survey, 1936-1940
Series 8
315 items. Arranged numerically. View box and folder list.

WPA survey of records in the County Clerk's Office.

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