A Happy New Year to everyone as we welcome in 2026. This month’s meeting will focus on the village of Baychester.
The remains of Baychester can be found between both the Hutchinson River and Parkway, a segment of I-95 on its southern end and the eastern end abutted by the Hell Gate Line.
Join us as we take a journey through the surprising transformation of what began as an unremarkable stretch of salt marsh into a lively fishing village. Over time, it attracted a growing population with a wide range of occupations, all drawn by the appeal of “country” living close to the city.
Eventually, much of this small community was overtaken by the demands of the ever-expanding Bronx. Along the way, we’ll explore how the area became increasingly isolated, how that isolation led to many neighbor-to-neighbor marriages, and how—quite unexpectedly—the neighborhood was captured in the film “The Seven-Ups,” during its most environmentally challenged period.
Our presenter, Susan Vernon Kehr, is a genealogist with more than 15 years of experience researching her ancestors on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as along the eastern and southern coasts of the United States. Before focusing on genealogy, she built a long and successful career in the Information Technology field and also owned her own business.
Susan has served twice as President of the Morris Area Genealogy Society in Morris County, New Jersey. She develops and maintains several genealogy websites, both private and public and she also created and continues to manage a One-Name-Place website dedicated to the isolated Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx, where she grew up.
The East Bronx History Forum will be holding its first meeting of the new year this Jan. 21 at 7:30 pm over Zoom.
If you are on our mailing list, the credentials will be emailed to you. If not, they will be posted on our web page BronxNYC.com and on our social media pages at Facebook and Instagram.
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