Stories from the Chester Park Archives
Chester Park sites to be auctioned (1892)
Chester Park sites to be auctioned by Geo. W. Bard, Saturday at 2 p.m. on the premises "Especially to clerks, salesmen and merchants with limited incomes, Chester Park offers a desirable home and the consideration for procuring the ground will be so small that it will require no effort on the part of anyone to secure a title to a part of this beautiful spot..."
The weather was so awful, Bard will continue the auction May 11.
May 4, 1892 - Daily Argus
Proposal to Purchase Schaub Farm for Playground (1930)
Chamber of Commerce Leads Movement to Secure Field For Community Playgrounds
Delegation will attend North Pelham Board and Endeavor to Enlist Support of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Eastchester in Proposal to Purchase Schaub Farm for Playground.
An active move toward the provision of a playground for North Pelham was begun on Monday night at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. The proposal has in view the purchase of the Schaub farm at the northerly extremity of the village and making it a municipal playground for the neighboring residents of North Pelham, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and the Town of Eastchester.
Efforts which have been made in the past to interest the Westchester County Park Commission in the purchase of the property for a similar purpose have been unavailing. The Commission has provided playground space for municipalities bordering the parkway system, but has realized that there must be limits to the length to which they can go in providing such playgrounds for communities which refuse to take action for themselves�.
The Schuab farm is peculiarly situated. Although located in the village of North Pelham, its northerly portion is but a few feet from the junction of four municipalities -- Pelham, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and the Town of Eastchester�. The Schuab farm was to have been the site of a hospital, and a building was given by the North Pelham Trustees last year, but the movement met with considerable opposition and lacked the financial support necessary to carry it through. It is one of the few open spaces left in the village and would make an ideal spot for a recreation field.
Dec. 1, 1930 - Pelham Sun
Fire Discloses Bootleg Still In Chester Park (1935)
"Alcohol Cooking" Plant Found in Regno House; Man and Wife Held.
Fire again proved to be the nemesis of those who were operating an alcohol distilling plant in the residence of James Regno at Maple and Pine Avenues in Chester Park on Friday night. Volunteer firemen of the First Fire District broke into the cellar of the house to extinguish a blaze burning dangerously close to 76 containers of newly distilled alcohol. The house proved to b e but living quarters which shielded a 250 gallon still, a cooling system and a labeling and bottling plant which appeared to produce bogus liquor to be passed off for many well known brands. Mrs. Regno who was arrested at her home on Friday night, was released under $250 bail on a Federal Charge. Her husband who was arrested in New York City on Sunday on a charge of violating the Sullivan Law was detained awaiting the action of the Grand Jury.
The incident of the fire duplicated a visit of volunteer firemen to the Regno home on November 1, 1927 when another still was found. Regno was arrested on a prohibition charge and paid a fine.
The fire is believed to have started near the heating plant of the still. The alarm was turned in at a box at Pelhamdale and Pine Avenues, two blocks away from the Regno residence. According to belief the unidentified operator of the still quit his post and ran to the alarm box as the flames burst out near the alcohol containers. He has failed to make an appearance since the fire.
Among the effects found in his home was a Colt .32 caliber pistol and 23 rounds of ammunition.
Together with the cans of stored grain and denatured alcohol was a 50 gallon barrel half full of aging rye whiskey, and a full 20 gallon barrel. When tested the whiskey proved to be 98 proof.
One of the most important discoveries made was an account book supposedly kept by Regno in which was listed amounts paid for trucking, sugar, caustic soda, etc.
Nov. 1, 1935 - Pelham Sun
Chester Park Must Cut Its Own Grass (1936)
In the future the members of the Chester Park Association will have to cut their own grass, it was decided by the North Pelham Village Board. The grass on the Chester Park green had been neglected for a while, so the Village of North Pelham decided to play the "big brother" and cut it. The Board will, however, not make a habit of taking care of the Chester Park Green and a letter to that effect will be sent to the association.
Title to the Green is vested in the property owners of Chester Park.
June 19, 1936 - Pelham Sun
Dispute About Dogs And Chickens Is Carried To Village Board (c. 1938)
Beleaguered Trustees Listen to Argument About Animals and Fowl in Residential District.
Can breeding pedigreed dogs and raising chickens and pigeons within the residential district of North Pelham be classed as "sporting" or is it just a plain nuisance?
That was the subject of controversy at the meeting of the beleaguered North Pelham Board of Trustees on Wednesday night. Five Chester Park women declared that their lives were being made miserable by barking dogs, crowing roosters and offensive odors which they claimed emanated from the property of Alfred L. Gamber, whose home is at No. 16 Maple Ave. Mr. Gamber is the clerk to the Board of Education. He denied all their contentions, declaring that he raised a few puppies as a hobby and that his chickens were no more annoying than the fowl of several other residents of the village.
After listening to arguments and cross-talk for almost two hours, Mayor Eugene L. Lyon announced that the board would consider the adoption of an ordinance regulating the keeping of animals and fowl within the village limits.
The complainants, all nearby residents, were Mrs. Harold S. Ring, of No. 12 Maple Avenue; Mrs. J. K. Clark of No. 25 Linden Avenue; Mrs. H. Zobel of No. 18 Maple Avenue; Mrs. Mabel Gates of No. 19 Linden Avenue; and Mrs. Edith Becker of No. 15 Linden Ave.
They see Mr. Gamber's interest in dogs and fowl as a business, a violation of the zoning ordinance.
They charged him with selling dogs and eggs and pointed to an advertisement in a New York newspaper offering puppies for sale. They told the Board also that he had sold eggs.
"We tried to buy some one day and he told us that he had only enough for his Pelham Manor customers," said one of the complainants.
"His rooster starts to crow every morning at 3 o�clock," said another.
"And his dogs howl all day long,"
"--and the odor from the place is terrific."
"He has two dozen pigeons in one little coop. I cannot sell or rent my property because of this nuisance."
I called the police and I got no satisfaction." These were just a few of the remarks.
In response, Mr. Gamber denied that he was commercializing his property. "I am breeding fine hunting dogs because I love dogs. I am not breeding them for sale," he said. "It seems funny to me that although I have kept chickens since 1926 no one has complained until now."
He said that his place had recently been inspected by the country health department, and it was approved.
Gamber offered the testimony of friends to show that he had a sportsman�s interest instead of a business interest in raising dogs.
The trustees discussed the possibility of passing an ordinance regulating the harboring of dogs and fowl in the village.
Gamber said he would be willing to get rid of his chickens if others in the village did likewise. The matter of adopting an ordinance will be discussed at a meeting next Thursday night.
Armenian gentleman "planted" in garden (1963)
Frankly, I find living in the cabin a lot of fun -- downright attached to it. Did you by any wild chance know that we have a former tenant planted in the yard? An Armenian gentleman rented it for many years, and his wish was that after dead he'd be cremated -- and his ashes scattered in the garden. This was done. And I credit the gentle Armenian with the fact that no matter how much I may neglect the garden myself, there's bloom most of the time -- I think he still looks after things a bit.
Feb. 2, 1963 Letter from Maggie Willis re: 57 Chestnut Ave