Vanderbilt Cup Races

Thank you Howard for presenting this image and providing before and after scenes. Knew that most would recognize this area, but it wasn’t so much about having all scratching your heads. I was quite surprised to come across such clear/close up images of the LIMP. Yes Art, the Heritage website is excellent! Have to visit this area soon being that a clearing up has been done recently. I agree, Dave. If the old pavement is still solid, leave it alone!

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

Awesome pic btw Brian. It’s amazing that you can still go to this exact location. I love the old original road spots. Nothing beats it. New bike paths? No thanks. I like original historical remnants. Clean that up for preservation purposes, but don’t pour any new road on top of the original! That’s my opinion.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

Thomas, you might be exactly the person we have been searching for. You grew up in Bethpage and rode your bike along the LIMP is the 50s. Can you tell us, do you have memories or even better possibly any photos of the LIMP aim relation to the construction of the Seaford Oyster Bay—135??

Any information / memories you have would be appreciated. Some of us believe the LIMP ran just west of 135, others believe it rode directly on or even slightly east at some points. What are your memories??

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

Tricky one. Three possibilities; Great Neck looking east, Garden City looking west, and Bethpage looking east. The scenery looks like the Great Neck Lodge where W.C. Field’s car chase ended in “Sally of the Sawdust,” but those cement posts are more lined up for the Bethpage’s Lodge entrance. I say Great Neck looking east. The hedges at center is where the wooden board fence was set up for Field’s to drive through. Hmmm, but I don’t recall power lines by Great Neck but Bethpage does have ‘em. I’ll go with Great Neck for this one. Looking forward to the answer and database location. Nice find Brian.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

Looks like Deadman’s Curve ( #1 ) in Bethpage looking south near the sharp turn to the west.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

I grew up in Bethpage. when I was 16 I drove on the motor parkway,what little bit there was left. the bridge was still over stewart ave in 1953. I would get on just west of stewart ave and drive as far as I could , about a quarter of a mile north of central ave. because that bridge was still there. great fun because dead mans curve was between the two bridges. I lived at 55 central blvd. Thomas mac callum

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

Bob, There were more than one toll rate scenario in effect at a given time. Example, in the 1920’s the one dollar toll was good for a round trip anywhere on the Parkway.  In 1930 the one dollar toll was good for one way to Lake Ronkonkoma or good for a round trip from anywhere from the west to the Huntington Lodge. Another example is the toll rate from the Brentwood Lodge at Commack Rd. The rate was 50 cents for a round trip between those two locations. During the depression years there were several toll rates in effect, mostly bases on the distance traveled. Al

From Vanderbilia: The Long Island Motor Parkway Toll Ticket

Didn’t have time to research, so I just go with my best guess;

Looks like this is looking West at the Garden City Lodge and Manager’s House on the left. Beyond the curve was where the Clinton Rd bridge stood, but was taken down by the time of this photo.

I’ll leave the the library and source answers to people who had more time than me this weekend!

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

Just a guess but we may be looking west on the LIMP a few hundred feet east of Clinton Road bridge in the vicinity of the Garden City lodge and General Manager’s office. Original source may have been the Garden City Public Library and can now be found in the NYS Archives Digital Collection.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

just a couple of questions…..Charges picture were $.50 & $1.00.  Were they different for how far you were going?  Or was it just certain years that determined the charge.  Thanks, Bob Andreocci
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Howard Kroplick

Bob, it was one price for getting on and getting off…no matter the distance. The different price reflect the year.

From Vanderbilia: The Long Island Motor Parkway Toll Ticket

I live a few blocks from the house and drive past it daily. I’ve ridden my bicycle around it a couple of times and studied the house. As an artist, I always suspected there was an interesting story behind it.It is incredibly well built. Despite years of standing empty and unattended it appears still to be very restorable. I had no idea who the original owner was or who designed it. Thank you Howard for educating us, I will certainly look at it differently from now on!

From The Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races -Fred Wagner- Rediscovered in Smithtown

So cool. Fred Wagner was arguably the most renowned flag man in early US motor racing. He was a fixture of the A.A.A. and officiated hundreds of key races. His book Saga of the Roaring Road has some terrific stories.

From The Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races -Fred Wagner- Rediscovered in Smithtown

Howard, Regarding automobiles entering the Parkway at 73rd Ave. In 1926 when it was known as Black Stump Rd., it was the designed Parkway entrance as indicated in the flyer the Parkway issued that year. The western parkway extension was completed to that point while the section north of there was still being built.

From Vanderbilia: The Long Island Motor Parkway Toll Ticket

I believe this photo is taken on the Motor Parkway in Garden City, behind the baseball fields at Stewart School. This is the stretch of the parkway between Clinton Rd to the west and Raymond Court/Roosevelt field to the east. This picture faces west and the two visible structures are the Garden City toll house/ Lodge and the Parkway Manager’s office.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

Frank, The western terminus of the Parkway was never manned. Those motorists entering the Parkway at Nassau Blvd. paid the toll at the Rocky Hill Rd. entrance and received a ticket that said Nassau Blvd. Those entering at Rocky Hill Rd. received a ticket with that designation. This is how the Parkway kept track of where automobiles accessed the Parkway. There really wasn’t a need for a toll collector at Nassau Blvd. If you entered the Parkway there you couldn’t get off until Rocky Hill Rd. and you had to pay a toll at that point or…. turn around and go back to Nassau Blvd.

From Vanderbilia: The Long Island Motor Parkway Toll Ticket

Good morning I am a new member is there any chance of buying a ticket or toll plate and what do they cost .thanks for your time
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Howard Kroplick

Bill, Motor Parkway toll tickets show up on EBay quite often.

Since there are less than 100 know plates still existing,  Motor Parkway license plates are usually purchased from collectors.

From Vanderbilia: The Long Island Motor Parkway Toll Ticket

This information/story is absolutely tremendous! thank you Howard and thanks to all who provided information. What a perfect way to start the day off by read this . I really appreciate all the effort that goes into making this web site a treat to read every week.

From The Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races -Fred Wagner- Rediscovered in Smithtown

Just another one of those great little facts of the “Vanderbilt Cup Races & MotorPky”. I bet Mr Wagner would never dream he be written about, a 107 years latter. That what make this great, Fun and exciting! In other words this would be dead forever, if not for a few people like us or this website, that search & follow the “Vanderbilt Cup Races & Motorpky”. Those people & This website keep it alive. Thank you Howard.  Joseph DeBono

From The Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races -Fred Wagner- Rediscovered in Smithtown

The Office structure I stated I meant the Manager’s house

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s

The location of the photo is in east Garden City just east of Clinton Rd. The photo is facing towards the northeast along the LIMP and the Garden City Toll Lodge. You can also see the electric tower above the ROW which can help you in identifying the location.

The LIMP structures in the photo are the Garden City Toll Lodge and Office.  The Clinton Rd bridge remnants can not be seen.
The source of the photo is from the Garden City Public Library digital photo collection.
The photo collection is part of the New York Heritage Digital Collection - Garden City Library-  nyheritage.org.

From Mystery Foto #19 Solved: The Motor Parkway East of Clinton Road, Garden City in the 1950s