The “Sensational” 1910 Port Jefferson Hill Climb
Today the first Port Jefferson Hill Climb held 100 years ago will be re-enacted at Port Jefferson Village Center. At 10:00 AM, come see the Alco "Black Beast" and many other vintage cars climb the same hill as the early racing greats. To celebrate the Port Jefferson Hill Climb, here are some images taken from 1910 automobile trade journals (click on the images to enlarge them):
The Hill
The starting point for the climb.
A band entertained the crowd.
The hill is 2,000 feet long featuring an elbow turn.
The finish line at the top of the hill. I believe this house is still standing.
The Cars and Drivers
A total of 67 cars competed in 16 different races. The featured event was the "Free-For-All" won by Ralph DePalma in a Fiat, climbing the hill in 20.48 seconds. DePalma would go on to win both the 1912 and 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Races.
Fred Belcher won the event for "Gasoline Stock Cars, $2,001 to $3,000" in a Knox and finished third in the "Free-For-All". Belcher also drove in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race held four months later.
Driver Stanley Martin won the "Gasoline Stock Cars $4,000 and over" event in a Houpt-Rockwell.
B. Holt won the "161-300 Cubic Inches" event in a Pope-Hartford.
J. Taylor winning the "Gasoline Stock Cars $1,201 to $1,600" event in a Correja.
The crowd's favorite car was the one-cylinder Only car manufactured near the Port Jefferson hill. The Only, with "only" one cylinder, finished with the 10th best time in the "Free-For-All".
R. C. Vandeventer won the event for "Amateurs, Class B cars, $1,201 to $2,000" in a Velie.
Automobile Trade Journals
Horseless Age June 29, 1910: "Sensational Climb at Port Jefferson's Premier- DePalma Gets Record"
The Automobile" June 30, 1910: "Knox Win Feature Events on Port Jeff Hill"
The Knox Automobile Company promoted its Port-Jefferson results in this full-age ad.
The July 2, 1910 issue of Automobile Topics provided a three-page summary of the event Port Jefferson Climb Has a Big Entry List.
Hope to see you in Port Jefferson in the morning and Hicksville in the afternoon.
-Port Jefferson Hill Climb, Port Jefferson, Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the 1910 Port Jefferson Hill Climb. "Black Beast" will be appearing in the morning.
Comments
Hello!
I just returned from watching the Hill Climb in Port Jefferson and had to stop by tell you that the Black Beast is just spectacular. Seeing it and hearing it in person was awesome. Though it didn’t make it to the top of the hill, it still made my day. LOVED it!
Thanks for sharing it with the world 😊
-Rachael
Loved seeing the ‘Black Beast’ at the Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival in New Britain last Father’s Day weekend. We were there showing our 1909 Corbin Model 0 Small Tonneau, one of five Corbins that showed up!
If folks would like to see the pride of Port Jefferson, a perfect F.R.P. Model C Touring, come up to the Seal Cove Auto Museum on Mount Desert Island, Maine. (President Obama has finished his visit and traffic is almost back to normal). Also see Seal Cove Auto Museum on Facebook or at http://www.sealcoveautomuseum.org.
Hi Rachael and Roberto:
Thanks for the comments!
Raphael, wonderful photo of the Black Beast with the Fiat:
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/tuesday_the_black_beast_in_port_jefferson_and_hicksville
Howard
My grand father Wilford Ball participated in the hill climb in 1911 in the 8th event with a 75mile per hour National Speedster—I have the _Photo in black and white A Spooner & Wells Photo
Kenneth Ball Jacksonville Florida 32250
From Greg O.
Kenneth- Thank you!
Would love to see the rest of your Grandfathers photos!
That is the only photo that was taken to my knowledge that day in this world I would have sent more if I had Them A Pair Of My Old Dodges From Years Ago
Old Dodge Cars & 1929 Model “A” Roadster Ken Ball A Part Of My Collection