Vanderbilt Cup Races

The copy on the cup reads:

LOCAL PRIDE CUP

presented to GEORGE H. ROBERTSON by the Bridgeport Board of Trade in recognition of his skill and courage in driving the Locomobile MADE IN BRIDGEPORT to victory and winning the Vanderbilt Cup October 24th, 1908

The 2 3/4 pint cup was made by the Meriden Silver Company , located in "The Silver City" Meriden, Connecticut.

On November 9, 1908, the entire city of Bridgeport closed down to celebrate  the homecoming of the winning Bridgeport-built Locomobile and its driver George Robertson.

 Thousands turned out for a downtown parade.

The Vanderbilt Cup and the winners.

George Robertson was soon surrounded by the crowd.

The day ended with a Locomobile Company of America banquet at the"The Stratfield" hotel. Built in 1902 on Main Street, the hotel spanned the entire block between Chapel Street and Golden Hill Street. The 8-story landmark hotel was one of Bridgeport's tallest buildings, and served as it's premier hotel for decades. It was renovated in 1979 for elderly and disabled housing, and is now known as Stratfield Apartments.

One of the five banquet sponsors was the Bridgeport Board of Trade.

On the menu page was an insert that read:

It is our "Local Pride" that the fastest Automobile in the world was "Made in Bridgeport, the "Industrial Capital of Connecticut"

Three hundred men and apparently no women attended the banquet. It is likely the "Local Pride Cup" was presented to George Robertson that night by the Bridgeport Board of Trade.