Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Hidden Treasures From the Local History Room: Documenting the Past

A couple of weeks ago a colleague of mine told me that she heard on a recent podcast that 90 to 95 percent of all photos that have ever existed have been taken within the past 5 years.  As shocking as this statement might have sounded, after reflecting on it for a few days I have found myself agreeing with this profound premise.  Everywhere I turn someone is taking a picture of something which might be important to them. Recently, I whipped out my smartphone to take some photos of a rainbow in the area of the library.  I must have snapped off 20 to 30 pictures in seconds. At the same time, I noticed other people doing the same thing. With all this technology available to us, we are able to record more of the events that shape our lives than we ever have.

Think about this for a minute, just a few short years ago it might have seemed ludicrous to take pictures of a dinner entree and then post it on our social media page.  A few weeks ago my wife and I went to lunch at a restaurant on City Island. I told my wife to take a picture of her entree because it looked good. Of course she posted the picture to her Facebook page.  (The fact I even suggested that she take a photo of her meal would have made me cringe even a couple years ago! In case you’re wondering, the meal tasted great!).

Why would I start a conversation pertaining to local history with a discussion of one of my latest culinary adventures?   One of the reason I enjoy looking at old photos is that they tell a story. They are a glimpse into our past; of a distant memory for some people. Take a look at this rare, vintage photograph (perhaps the 1930’s) of the Four Corners in Hartsdale. For comparative purposes, I included a picture (taken by my wife) from the approximate same location in March 2018.  Notice all the changes!!! What if we could talk to people who lived there at that time, who remember what it was like to live there then? Some of the people who were interviewed in “Fairview Remembered” (which I wrote about in my last post) recalled growing up in Greenburgh long before the construction of I-287. Unrecognizable, where there was farmland and dirt roads in the early part of the last century, they spoke of a trolley which ran on route 119 from Tarrytown to White Plains.  Some even recalled the Fairgrounds (why Fairview is known as Fairview) and of course a Squirrel farm!

Pictures of the Four Corners in Hartsdale and of Trolley Cars on Tarrytown Road are few and far between. Granted there are some; just not enough. We have a lots of mementos of our collective past, unfortunately the collective memories of the 1940’s and 50’s are slowly drifting away.  Most people who were born in the 1940’s are in their 70’s. Pretty soon people born in the 1960’s will be turning 60 (yours truly will be one of the first next year!).  Still, time marches on. Scenes from my childhood in Hartsdale have changed greatly over the years with some even fading from the deepest reaches of my memory.

If I look out the window from the adult reference desk at the library today I might view a scene similar to this. Over the days ahead things might look similar, but days then turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months into years and so on. We usually don’t notice the subtle changes that happen every day, or even over weeks or months, but they are definitely happening.

As I alluded to in my last blog entry, I am envisioning an initiative to have people who have lived in the Town of Greenburgh, for a long time, share their stories. I'd like them to share their oral history of what it was like to grow up in, or to live in Greenburgh for a long time. I would welcome people who no are longer living here but did live here for a long time to share their stories too. This project would be similar in scope to the Town’s magnificent series showcasing the veterans of World War II and beyond.

I belong to several groups on Facebook that share memories and pictures of growing up in the area.  There is a sense of re-connection to a community which comes from being a part of these groups. Most of the people who are “members” of these groups and of others around the country lived in these places for a long time but have not forgotten their roots to the community. They share stories and pictures of an era slowly fading into the past. In words and pictures that is what I am hoping to accomplish with this project.

Help us to gather, preserve and share our history for future generations.  Share Your Memories of Living in the Town of Greenburgh. So whether you live or have lived in Edgemont, Fairview, Hartsdale and other neighborhoods in this vast and diverse community we call Greenburgh we have an amazing story to share.   Everyone's story is important, and collectively. our personal histories tell the complex and complete history of our town. There are many ways you can help capture and preserve our shared History.  To preserve your photographic memories with the library email them to Vincent C Bonacci at gpllocalhistory@gmail.com.