Vanderbilt Cup Races

Let’s see if it’s the Newbridge Road Bridge in today’s Levittown.  Curved bridge, telegraph poles.  View looking west (car going east).

September, 1908 - road is finished by guard rails not in place for the Vanderbilt Cup Race.

From Mystery Foto #25 Solved: The Westbury Road Motor Parkway Bridge in East Meadow in 1908 Updated: 6/29

The photo was taken looking east along the parkway just before the Westbury Rd parkway bridge (bridge #38}.  You can observe the LIRR Central branch telegraph/block poles on the right side of the photo.

The photo was taken in September of 1908 as per the photo posted in the LIMP Bridge series. You can observe the same Buick going over the bridge.  The telegraph poles can also be seen in the completed bridge/ construction photo of August 20,1908.

From Mystery Foto #25 Solved: The Westbury Road Motor Parkway Bridge in East Meadow in 1908 Updated: 6/29

Bloomindale Rd.  Coming from the NW, heading South then East.
I suspect the picture in 1908, as the car on the bridge looks like the official photographer’s car.  The bend, the lack of trees and the power lines were all usable clues.

From Mystery Foto #25 Solved: The Westbury Road Motor Parkway Bridge in East Meadow in 1908 Updated: 6/29

Great pics Frank! You gotta give more details though! Your 6th pic down and my first are the same backyard. From that location I’m pretty sure there is nothing to the east of that location, so I’m assuming that all of your pictures are between this house and heading west towards the VFW Hall but please give us the details.

Shocked that all of this remains in backyards. These people must all be single men. I can’t see how wives would allow backyards to remain like this! I know mine wouldn’t!

That one house might have the oldest paved basketball court in the world!

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

Thanks for the additional photos, Frank. We can now see how the LIMP runs thru these property’s. It appears that some backyards have the full width all to themselves. Having a “slab” ready made in your backyard can be put to good use with some creativity.

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

Enjoyed your visit to the Connetquot Library.  We spoke several years ago after one of your presentations at the Riverhead Museum.  I grew up in Mineola and write “nostalgia” articles for the local paper, the Mineola American.  I believe I sent you an article about my childhood playground, Pettit’s (Bart’s) Nursury, north of Old Country Road and my bicycle adventures along the abandoned Motor Parkway.

JG

From Answers to the Questions Raised at the Connetquot Public Library Presentation

that looks like the old Marsicovetere house. They had a stretch pf ROW in their backyard. Part of the row unfortunately was owned by their neighbors. Took pics of this back in 2000. Gotta compare these pics to my collection I took from 99 to 02

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

The year must be between 1908-1910 when the grandstand was in use for the Vanderbilt Cup Races

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: William Bruce Brown, the Brother of David Bruce-Bown

Don’t know the driver but he resembles Spencer Wishart (American). Wishart raced in the 1909, 10, 11, 12, and ‘14 VCR races. Photo taken at the east end of the Levittown grandstand. I can see the crew pits between the grandstand and the Motor Parkway. The crew pits were once located where the new houses have recently popped up, just west of Crocus Lane. The vehicle could be a Locomobile

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: William Bruce Brown, the Brother of David Bruce-Bown

Howard it was so great to finally hear your great presentation. So glad you had a good turnout. All the best Jerry and Rita

From Answers to the Questions Raised at the Connetquot Public Library Presentation

It looks like Ron and I were in the exact same spot, 36 years apart.

Rons 3rd pic down and my 5th appear to be the same backyard just west of the house on Sigsbee that has the LIMP.

I think we all take for granted how cool this is. Even us who know this is cool! 109 years later this original LIMP is still here. There are some locations where you can see how it survives, but just sitting in someone’s backyard like this is just crazy!

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

Great stuff, Dave.  Thanks for exploring which has given me more to do.

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

The photo shows William Bruce-Brown in his 1910 Simplex 50hp toy tonneau in front of the grandstand at Levittown, May 1910. The photo was taken by Gladys Roosevelt, with whom he was related through an aunt of his mother. Another photo of William in his Simplex at the same location was shown at the site of TheOldMotor.com.
William’s brother was David, the famous racing driver. Though unsuccessful in the 1910 and 1911 Vanderbilt Cup races, he won in both of these years the American Grand Prize. He would be killed during practice for the 1912 American Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: William Bruce Brown, the Brother of David Bruce-Bown

The parkway pavement can still be seen in most of the back yards behind Schley Ave.  I have not been back there much since childhood, but I know it is still there. 
-joe o

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

Really good stuff. You really can’t thank Mr. Ridolph enough for his documenting of the LIMP remnants during the 80’s. The photos he has taken obviously required knocking on many doors, and Dave & Sam are doing the same presently. And your site here is reaching out to the right people, Howard. There must be remnants remaining W/O here right up to the library. If I lived in one of these homes, my trusty line trimmer and growth kill would be put to good use.

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

Once again this road comes back to me.  I delivered mail in Williston Park and William St was on my route.  The park that is just to the north on the east side was into Albertson on was off limits to the carriers of Williston Park.  I did manage to take a bathroom break at the Shelter Rock Library which is at the end of William St…..and I think it was built on LIMP land.  Great discovery.  Thanks

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

That’s William Bruce-Brown, sitting in a 50hp Simplex in front of the grandstand on the LIMP in present day Levittown. His brother, David Bruce-Brown, participated in the 1910 and 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Races. Since William was a friend of the John Roosevelt family, and John’s daughter Gladys took many photographs of the 1909 & 1910 races and another photo of William taken by her was dated May, 1910, I’m guessing that this photo was taken at the same time.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: William Bruce Brown, the Brother of David Bruce-Bown

Going with all guesses this weekend…

I’ll say this is Harry Grant’s brother in an Alco at Indy in 1911 when his brother ran in the inaugural Indy 500. Harry Grant was the winner of the ‘09 and ‘10 Vanderbilt Cup Races. Don’t know the photographer.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: William Bruce Brown, the Brother of David Bruce-Bown

Brian, definitely piece of a wall. It is in the ground. It looks like a remnant of a once larger wall that was cut and this small part of it remains.

From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated

A shame Nassau County didn’t have easements on properties they sold, which closed off inside-the-block sections of the Parkway.  That’s why they must do the arrow and path bit a goodly distance from the actual rights-of-way.

From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated