Mystery Foto #61 Solved: Willie K deeds the Motor Parkway to the people of Long Island
Did you identify this weekend's Mystery Foto?
Mystery Foto questions:
Identify:
- One of more of more people in the Foto.
From left to right: Chester R. Blakelock, executive secretary of the Long Island state park commission; Nassau County Executive J. Russell Sprague, William K. Vanderbilt and Rosamund Vanderbilt.
- The deeds that were being exchanged
"The 50 mile-highway deeded to the People of Long Island. Value at $2,000,000".
William K. Vanderbilt: "As president of the Long Island Motor Parkway corporation and in behalf of the Lakeville Holding and Development company, I am making delivery of the balance of deeds that will place at the service of the public about 50 miles of motor parkway, acquired and constructed with private fund and operated for nearly 30 years for the benefit of the motorist."
- The approximate date of the Foto
The article was published in the Nassau Daily Review -Star on July 1, 1938.
Comments (3)
Congrats and kudos to Gary Hammond and Art Kleiner for solving this historic Mystery Foto.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Comments
This is a Nassau Daily Review-Star photograph published on July 1, 1938, page 1. The headline reads: “Vanderbilts Deed Motor Parkway to Public”, while the caption states: “Nassau county and New York State officials receive deeds for the $2,000,000 Long Island motor parkway form Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. Left to right are Chester R. Blakelock, executive secretary of the Long Island state park commission; County Executive J. Russel Sprague and Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt.”
From left to right: Chester B. Blakelock, Exec. Chairman of the Long Island State Park Commission; Suffolk County Executive J. Russel Sprague; William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. and wife Rosamund Warburton.
Deeds to the Motor Parkway given by Vanderbilt to the County.
July 1, 1938.
Research has hit a dead end so it’s time for some wild guesses. Left to right we might have Robert Moses, Warren F. Greenhalgh (Chairman of the Suffolk County Board of Supervisors), Willie K., and somebody’s wife. They could be exchanging the deed to the Suffolk County portion of the LIMP for back taxes. If any of that is true, then it could be 1938.
Not all of the Motor Parkway ROW in Nassau County was deeded to the County. Moses made sure that the N.Y. State Parks Commision got at least three sections. Two were located around the Motor Parkway bridges over Northern State Parkway at Lakeville Rd, and New Hyde Park Rd, and the part of the Motor Parkway thru Bethpage State Park. Believe there are at least two other parcels Moses acquired.