Guide to the Collections --
Series Descriptions -- Series 151-175

 

Series 151
Court Administration Facilities Records. 1959-1977.
Less than 1 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Records of the County Clerk concerning courtroom assignments, equipment, supplies, courthouse construction and the renovation of courtrooms and chambers.

Related records: Series 24, Courthouse Development Committee Records, 1948-1968.
                
Series 152
County Elections and Appointments Records. 1907-1981.
3 cubic ft. Chronological.
Certificates of election and appointments to office filed with the County Clerk. Included are appointments to the Bronx Parkway Commission (1907 ff.), the County Welfare Department (1917 ff.), and the County War Council (1942).

Related records: Series 140, Elections and Canvasses Records, 1892-1921, 1938-1970; Series 153, Municipal Elections and Appointments Records, 1898-1978 (gaps).
                         
Series 153
Municipal Elections and Appointments Records. 1898-1978 (gaps).
3 cubic ft. Alphabetical by Municipality.
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, 1938-1970; Series 152, County Elections and Appointments Records, 1907-1981.
                         
Series 154
School Reports. 1828-1968 (gaps).
35 cubic ft. Chronological within each accession.
Statistical and narrative reports to the New York State Department of Education. Reports include information about facilities, equipment and supplies, and teachers' salaries. Census schedules with the names and ages of all school age children in the district with the names of their parents are available for some districts for the years 1857-1879, 1893, and 1896-1904.  This series includes some records from school districts for Westchester towns annexed to the Bronx and for some school districts located in Putnam County. The years for which reports are available varies by municipality, however, there are no reports available from the 1880s for any municipality. An index of the reports available in this collection is available online.
                     
Series 155
Trademarks. 1925-1954.
1 cubic ft. Unarranged.
Trademarks, filed in the County Clerk's office, of certain products intended to be marketed in Westchester County. Applications were filed by both Westchester and non-Westchester based companies.  Included are many sample labels used on bottles and cartons.
                      
Series 156
Pforzheimer Papers: Westchester County Library System Records. 1936-1956.
Less than 1 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Memos, correspondence, booklets and feasibility studies compiled during a study of Westchester's libraries conducted under a Carnegie Foundation grant by a committee chaired by Carl H. Pforzheimer. The study proposed the development of an umbrella organization which is today the Westchester Library Association (WLA).
                     
Series 157
Pforzheimer Papers: Purchase Free Library Records. 1924-1944.
Less than 1 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Correspondence and memos related primarily to the finances of the library. Carl H. Pforzheimer served as Treasurer and Chairman of the Board of the library.
                            
Series 158
Pforzheimer Papers: Purchase Property Owners Association Records. 1905-1943.
1 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Minutes, correspondence and memos of the organization, a citizen's group which campaigned for and against various changes in the community. Mr. Pforzheimer was an officer in the organization. The records include discussions of such issues as zoning regulations, fire protection, a proposed airport in the Purchase area, state aid to schools, and taxes.

Related records: Series 159, Pforzheimer Papers: Harrison-Purchase Records, 1920-1952.
                         
Series 159
Pforzheimer Papers: Harrison-Purchase Records. 1920-1952.
6 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Correspondence, memos, studies, charts and minutes gathered by Mr. Pforzheimer during service on several Citizens Committees in the communities of Harrison and Purchase. The records include materials on zoning, planning, water supply, fire protection, welfare and social services, taxes, land valuation, and public health.

Related records: Series 158, Pforzheimer Papers: Purchase Property Owners Association, 1905- 1943.
                          
Series 160
Pforzheimer Papers: Westchester County Council of Social Agencies Records. 1933- 1959.
Less than 1 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Memos, Correspondence, minutes and reports maintained by Mr. Pforzheimer, who was a Director and Treasurer of the Council. The WCCSA was a voluntary organization of public and private health and welfare agencies which planned and coordinated their activities to increase efficiency. The Council was founded in 1921 and was a forerunner of the United Way of Westchester County.

Related records: Series 165, Pforzheimer Papers: Joint Committee on Public Assistance Records, 1947-1952.
                         
Series 161
Pforzheimer Papers: Westchester County Association Records. 1950-1952.
Less than 1 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Minutes and correspondence. Mr. Pforzheimer was a director of the Association which was formed in 1950 by leaders of government, commerce, industry, labor, the press and the general public to study the impact of changes in Westchester County brought about by the influx of major corporations. The records contain data and recommendations on topics such as education, museums, civil defense, highways, transportation, and public works.
                             
Series 162
Pforzheimer Papers: Miscellaneous Publications. 1921-1955.
2.5 cubic ft. Unarranged. Indexed in the Archives' online database and Maps database.
Assorted publications, collected by Mr. Pforzheimer, including directories of Social Agencies (1930s-1940s), directories of County officials (1930s), maps published by the Regional Plan of New York and Environs (1928), and other publications about Westchester County.
                               
Series 163
Pforzheimer Papers: Planning Commission Records. 1929-1956.
3.3 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Correspondence, memos, minutes and reports of the Commission. Mr. Pforzheimer was the first Chairman of the Westchester County Planning Commission. His files discuss such topics as the County airport and land valuations. Also included are a number of annual reports (1939-1942), a detailed unpublished history of the early years of the Planning Department, and a comprehensive Planning Study (1934-1936) which surveyed land, aviation, electricity, history, population, health, housing, water supply, finances, police, and related topics in Westchester and its municipalities.

Related records: Series 22, Planning Board Minutes, 1939-1972.
                          
Series 164
Pforzheimer Papers: Commission on Government Records. 1921-1956.
5.5 cubic ft. Alphabetical.
Correspondence, memos, minutes, reports, speeches, and clippings created and compiled by the Westchester County Commission on Government which, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Pforzheimer, wrote the County's first Charter. Several folders contain material added by Mr. Pforzheimer after the dissolution of the Commission in 1938. The bulk of the records reflect the deliberations of the Commission and provide much information about the thinking that went into the making of the Charter. In addition, the records provide an excellent overview of the state of the County--its schools, transportation facilities, police and fire departments, water supply, local governments, county government, etc.--in the mid- and late-1930s.
              
Series 165
Pforzheimer Papers: Joint Committee on Public Assistance Records. 1947-1952.
Less than 1 cubic ft. Chronological.
Minutes, correspondence, pamphlets, press releases, surveys and clippings which document the Committee's efforts to analyze the causes of poverty and to encourage public support of Westchester County's public assistance programs. The records include discussions about budgets, particularly that of the Division of Family and Child Welfare. Also included are analyses of factors influencing individuals and families to seek public assistance, and comparisons of public relief efforts of communities outside of Westchester County.

Related records: Series 160, Pforzheimer Papers: Westchester County Council of Social Agencies Records, 1933-1959; Series 173, Family and Child Welfare Division Reports, 1922- 1961.

                             
Series 166
Bronx Valley Sewer Records. 1907-1911.
1 v. with index in front, plus 3 cubic ft.  Chronological.

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.
                       
Series 167
Guardianship Records. 1802-1896.
10 v. Chronological. Indexed by: Series 171.
Includes Letters of Guardianship by which guardians are appointed by the court to oversee minor heirs and their estates; Letters of Testamentary Guardianship in which the guardian is appointed by the last will of the minor's parents; and Ancillary Letters of Guardianship which record out of state guardianship transfers. Each type of letter includes the name of the appointed guardian, the name and age of the minor(s), and a brief legal description of the requirements of the guardianship.

Related records: Series 16, Estate Records, 1775, 1782-1909; Series 132, Wills, 1782-1941; Series 168, Administration Letters, 1787-1940; Series 201, Testamentary Letters, 1830-1897.
                    
Series 168
Administration Letters. 1787-1940.
22 v. Chronological. Indexed by: Series 171.
Records of estates which are intestate, are being contested, or those containing dependent family members. These letters document the transfer of legal responsibility for paying taxes, care and custody of dependent family members, liquidation of debts, and transfer of property to the heirs as effected by an administrator appointed by the Surrogate Court. Letters of Administration grant authority to administer the entire estate of the deceased without restriction; Letters of Administration de bonis non (1852-1935 only) appoint an administrator to complete the settlement of an estate partially settled by another administrator; Letters of Temporary Administration (1853-1940 only) order an administrator to produce an inventory of the deceased's estate within three months; and Letters of Administration with Will Annexed appoint a new administrator to act on behalf of executors who refuse to do so.

Related records: Series 16, Estate Records, 1775, 1782-1909; Series 132, Wills, 1782-1941; Series 167, Guardianship Records, 1802-1896; Series 201, Testamentary Letters, 1830-1897.
                      
Series 169
Marriage License Affidavits, Licenses, and Certificates. 1908-1914, 1917-1936.
31 cubic ft. Numerical. Indexed by: Series 183.
Marriage License Affidavits (1908-1914, 1926-1936 only) include for both bride and groom: name, race, town of residence, age, occupation, place of birth, names of parents and their birthplaces, information regarding previous marriages, date of license and signatures. Marriage Licenses (1908-1914, 1917-1936) show name of bride and groom. Certificates (1918-1926 only) include the NYS Department of Health Register Number, name and title of person officiating, name of church, names of witnesses and certificate of consent for underage persons.

Related records: For marriage records during the years 1915-1916, see Series 184, Marriage Register, 1908-1918.
                       
Series 170
Westchester County Control Survey, 1939 Report
The Westchester County Control Survey conducted ca. 1934-1941 mapped boundary lines throughout the county through use of a triangulation survey.  The 1939 Report provides a short history of the project; details with words and photographs the work of the field and office crews involved in the project; and explains the triangulation process used to establish the horizontal grid of elevations throughout the county resulting from the survey, which continue today to serve as “known points” to surveyors mapping property.  The report also lists every individual from the county involved in the Control Survey project.

Related records: Series 268, Westchester County Control Survey - Department of Public Works Files, ca. 1930s-ca. early 1950s.

                            
Series 171
Surrogate Records, Index. 1772-1989.
80 reels Alphabetical. Index to Series 16, 132, 167, 168, 201.
                       
Series 172
Department of Social Services: Director of Public Welfare Reports. 1915-1972.
3 cubic ft. Chronological.
Drafts of Annual Reports to the Board of Supervisors (1915-1972); Reports to the New York State Department of Social Welfare (1951-1961); and Financial Reports of the Department (1950-1961). These reports include personnel lists, employee salaries, medical reports, and many studies of tuberculosis, infantile paralysis, venereal disease and alcoholism. Included also are statistics about residents of the County Home, children served by the Department, and inmates in the Penitentiary (including reports of an experiment in prison self-government beginning 1918).

Related records: Series 173, Family and Child Welfare Division Reports, 1922-1961; Series 174, Director of Hospitals Annual Reports, 1928-1947; Series 175, County Home Reports, 1914-1961 (gaps); Series 176, Buildings and Power Plants Division Reports, 1943-1951; Series 178, Social Welfare Department Monthly Report Bulletins, 1961-1967.
                         
Series 173
Department of Social Services: Family and Child Welfare Division Reports. 1922-1961.
2 cubic ft. Chronological within Departments.
Reports of the Inspector of Child Welfare (1922-1937, gaps) are narrative and statistical reports which document numbers of children receiving aid through mothers' allowances, in foster homes, and in institutions. Home inspections detail the character and personality of the children and their care-givers and provide candid evaluations of home-life. (Note: Certain restrictions apply to these records). Annual Reports of the Division of Family and Child Welfare (1925-1961) trace the Division's growth and development; its response during and after the Depression to newly-passed Federal legislation; and its assumption, after the Public Welfare Law of 1930 and decentralization of 1940, of what had been town and village responsibilities.

Related records: Series 165, Pforzheimer Papers: Joint Committee on Public Assistance Records, 1947-1952; Series 172, Director of Public Welfare Reports, 1915-1972.
                         
Series 174
Department of Social Services: Director of Hospitals Annual Reports. 1928-1947.
2 cubic ft. Chronological.
Reports which document the expansion and growth of the Division as it became nationally recognized in the field of public health. The reports begin as narratives, gradually become more detailed and eventually add a separate statistical report, becoming 300-400 pages combined. Tables showing patient numbers, occupation, nativity, ethnicity, civil status, and religion are present. There are comparisons of days of care, lengths of stay and per diem costs, as well as profit and loss statements for some years. Medical and psychiatric diagnoses are extensive. Meal and special diet records are considerable as are tables of in-house manufacture and use (clothing, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, narcotics) and many other items of expense. Low salary levels of employees and nurses were a continuing concern of the Director, as was keeping up with current medical and nursing standards of care. Grasslands was in the forefront of diagnosis by x-ray, use of radium for cancer treatment, and palmprint identification for newborns. Schooling was offered for both tubercular children and adults. Memoranda which passed between the Commissioner and First and Second Deputy Commissioners, commenting on the annual report, are present, as well as comments by the Director. Most years have copies marked with paragraphs to be deleted or wording to be changed, and for some years the printed copy--as seen by the general public--is available for comparison.

Related records: Series 172, Department of Social Services: Director of Public Welfare Reports, 1915-1972 (Note: Some earlier (1917-1927) reports of the Division of Hospitals may be found in this series. In particular, reports in this series document the first psychiatric services in 1922 and establishment of a School of Nursing in 1927).
                      
Series 175
Department of Social Services: County Home Reports. 1914-1961 (gaps).
Less than 1 cubic ft. Chronological within divisions.
Reports of the Inspector of the County Home (1914-1930, gaps) and Annual Reports of the County Home (1925-1961). Inspector's reports describe buildings, grounds and equipment and report on the quality of hygiene, food and clothing provided for the residents. Statistics give their ethnicity, race, age and physical condition, as well as personnel and salary figures. Social and recreational amenities are described. Of particular interest is the 1928 report which describes in detail the process by which the County Home became a part of the Grasslands complex. Annual Reports begin with simple statistics and a ten-year census report. Later years detail ethnic nativity, religion, civil status, education, age and physical conditions of residents of the Home. The 1929 report includes a 1916-1930 historical summary of the Home. A 300-page study of organization and administration of the County Home, completed in 1959, is part of these records.

Related records: Series 172, Department of Social Services: Director of Public Welfare Reports, 1915-1972 (Note: Some earlier (1915-1924) reports of the Division of the County Home may be found in this series); Series 177, Department of Social Services: Historical and Memorial Records, 1830-1974.
                    
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