Vanderbilt Cup Races

A New Rail Line?

Several articles noted that the Motor Parkway might be used as the road bed for a rail line extending to Montauk Point, giving competition to the Pennsylvania Rail Road.  (Brooklyn Daily Eagle April 20, 1924)

However, the chance for this happening was not very likely.  (Brooklyn Daily Eagle April 20, 1924)

"Hot Air"

The high cost, the topography of the Motor Parkway, the limited population that would use the line and the unlikelihood of the public service commission granting a license were seen as factors limiting the chance for a second railroad on Long Island.  (The Long-Islander April 25, 1924)

" . . . full of curves and as crooked as a ram's horn in some places".  (The Long-Islander April 25, 1924)

Accidents Abound!

Motorists were free to travel at unsafe speeds on the parkway; while this article doesn't indicate speed was a cause for the severity of the accident it may have been a contributing factor.  (The Times-Union April 28, 1924)

The head-on collision occurred on the Clinton Street entrance of the Motor Parkway in Mineola.  (The Times-Union April 28, 1924)

Speed was the culprit in this accident in Wheatley Hills as sand bags often used during speed tests were found in the wrecked auto.  (The Times-Union May 6, 1924)

Accidents from the air also occurred on or near the Motor Parkway.  (New York Daily News May 19, 1924)

Brooklyn Daily Eagle May 19, 1924

A New Village is Born

The Motor Parkway formed the border of the new village named Old Westbury; its population of 500 (including many millionaires) voted in its first election May 24, 1924.  (The Long-Islander May 23, 1924)

The village was comprised of several large estates including ones owned by the Phipps and the Whitneys (see listing for Gertrude Vanderbilt).  (Land Use and Zoning Study, June 2021)

The new village in 1927. (E. Belcher Hyde, 1927)

A 2021 map of Old Westbury.  (Land Use and Zoning Study, June 2021)

Polo Anyone?

The Motor Parkway (mentioned as being 30 miles long) is noted as being a fine route to the polo games and other recreational pursuits on Long Island.  (Long Island Information Booklet April 24, 1924)

A reasonable route to get to the Polo fields via the Motor Parkway. (source unknown)

RIP - Jerry Grote

Jerry Grote, one of my favorite NY Mets recently passed at age 81.  Here's Jerry celebrating the Mets World Championship in 1969 with NYC Mayor John Lindsay and Rod Gasper. 

A number of years ago I had the privilege to meet Jerry and Ron Swoboda (another favorite) at an autograph signing. 

And as we do with the Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races, "remember the old days" as another Met favorite, Bud Harrelson, wrote to me at another autograph signing.  Ah, to have been 13 years old and a Mets fan in 1969!  And now able to document the history of the Motor Parkway - what a life!