Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: The Spinney Hill Turn from the 1906 Course
Did you identify the Spinney Hill turn on the 1906 course?
Identify;
- Where was this location that was a mystery for many years?
For years, Motor Parkway historians had debated the location of these grandstands from the #3 postcard on the Motor Parkway postcard series, produced by the Brooklyn Eagle as souvenirs for the 1906 Mineola Fair. The postcards featured photos of the course for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Many though the grandstands were further west on the course. In 2023, after a few new clues came to my attention, I took another stab at figuring out the grandstand whereabouts. In this post, I had surmised that the grandstands were Lakeville Road just after the turn off of North Hempstead Turnpike (Northern Blvd.)
- Which race?
The grandstands were in place for the 1906 races.
- Roads in the photo
The photographer is standing on North Hempstead Turnpike (Northern Blvd.) and looking south down Lakeville Road.
- See Hint below with an additional 'Kudos' question
John Dennelly's The Maple Lodge was not only the home to purchase your grandstand seats, but he also profited by being the headquarters for Joe Tracy's Locomobile team.
Congrats to Steve Lucas for identifying all the mystery photo questions.
Greg O.
Photo Hint
Here's a closer look at the stands with spectators.
The sign on the front of the grandstands reads; 'Reserved seats Apply at J. Dennelly's' with a hand pointing down the road saying '4th house'.
Aside from being a location to buy reserved tickets for the grandstands, J. Dennelly's also served as another purpose. What was that purpose?
Comments
I believe this is Northern Blvd turning onto Community Drive. Well… at least that is what it is today. Back then, Spiney Hill Rd. The grandstands are for the VCR.
We are looking south down Lakeville Road from the intersection with North Hempstead Tpke. (Northern Blvd) with the grandstand set up for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Today it is the northern-most portion of Lake Success but back then it was probably Manhasset. Four houses down was John Dennelly’s farm and home which he called “Maple Cottage”. It was temporarily being used as the headquarters for Joe Tracy and the Locomobile race tram.
Ellison Avenue, 1926