About
The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
Site maintained by Hop Studios
Recent Comments
Another automotive coup! Thanks. In the last photo, the caption says that’s the son of the Peugot brothers in #30 behind the #61 Brasier of de Montais - that’s at odds with your individual photos. The #61 shown above is an open three-wheeler and the one in the lead in the clipping is a closed four-wheeler pictured individually above as either duBois’ #14 or Mayade’s #64 Panhard. Also, note that the most of the cars have solid tires and the paving is Belgian block - what a pounding the vehicles and passengers must have taken (I had to sell my 1948 Jag drophead because I had to drive it daily on Belgian block and it was being beaten to bits)! Sam, III
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From Howard Kroplick I
Sam, the previous published captions for this photo in books were wrong. Clearly, the vehicle in the front was the #64 Panhard driven by Mayade.
From Helck Family Collection: The 1894 Paris-Rouen Race- The First "Road Wagon" Contest
O. K. I’ll bite. Wuzzar above Thomas Costello’s head in the #45 Maxwell? Flying saucer? Early Frisbee? Kite? Bumbershoot? Also: “Finished 6th in the Massapequa Sweepstakes, completing 1 of 10 laps”. 6th in 1 of 10 laps? Sounds as if the Stakes was a disaster (not that this ‘09 VCR wasn’t exceedingly rough on the cars). Please tell or link us to the story. Thanks for these fab photos. Sam, III
From John E. Roosevelt Family Photo Album: The 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race at the Massapequa Turn
I cheated, I looked it up.
In 1855, inventor Richard Dudgeon astounded New Yorkers by driving from his home to his place of business in a steam carriage. The noise and vibration generated by the Red Devil Steamer frightened horses so badly that city authorities confined it to one street.
After losing the original in a fire, Dudgeon constructed a second steamer in 1866. After encountering more opposition to the vehicle, he moved his family, and the steam carriage, to Long Island to escape city officials. Here he and his carriage became a familiar site, often with a young boy running ahead to warn travelers of the danger that followed.
Dudgeon ran the steam carriage many hundreds of miles and once covered a mile in under two minutes. Although the inventor claimed the carriage could carry 10 people at 14 m.p.h. on one barrel of anthracite coal, it was too f
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The Dudgeon Steam Wagon- The Earliest Road Vehicle Ever Seen on Long Island
Hi Howard,
One that always fascinated me and which is now in the Smithsonian (thank goodness). Hey - just thought - President Elect Trump could use it for his inauguration. Beats a Cadillac any day!
It’s the Dudgeon steam carriage. Built in 1866 by engineer Richard Dudgeon who owned a farm on Long Island and he also drove it on the streets of New York.
Think I’ve answered the questions posed.
Great diversion for a Friday lunchtime (here in the UK anyway!) Great website and very entertaining
Ian
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The Dudgeon Steam Wagon- The Earliest Road Vehicle Ever Seen on Long Island
Ugh! Can’t keep up with you guys, you’re too much.
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
So when you went down the steps were you able to open the door? Did anyone go in? Did you go over to the south side?
Did you find any other LIMP relevant items at the facility in general while there?
I was thinking on the south side of Union Tpk where the original LIMP was there might be some road remnants/posts in the weeds/trees that are near the south tunnel entry. I’ll have to investigate further one day.
Sorry we couldn’t be with you for this….kids schedules these days never end!!!
From Raiders of Lost Underpass
Fabulous photos. Thank you for sharing them.
From John E. Roosevelt Family Photo Album: The 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race at the Massapequa Turn
Howard, are both sides still in existence and can you walk thru to the other side?
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From Howard Kroplick:
Michael, the underpass is completely intact but closed off in the north by a door and a gated top on the south.
From Raiders of Lost Underpass
Looks like great fun. Sorry I missed this.
From Raiders of Lost Underpass
Could also be Willy K’s Idelhour residence in Oakdale L.I.
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
Taking a shot in the dark here… The passenger is Fredrick Gilbert Bourne a president of Singer Manufacturing Corp. And the car may be a 1903 Ford Model A. The first Model A, not the later ones.
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
Nice shot and difficult mystery, so Ill test my luck, 1901-1903 based on the earlier model horseless carriage, Harry Payne Whitney passenger in car, Clarence H. Mackay standing left on the porch at the Mackay estate in Roslyn. Looking forward to Areijan’s description of the car
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
Identify the Long Island Motor Parkway director who is sitting in the passenger’s seat. See below hint.: Frederick Bourne
Identify the year and make of the automobile: (A very big guess here) - 1910 Mercedes
Where was this photo taken and the approximate year?: South Side Sportsman’s Club, Oakdale. 1910-1915
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
Hopefully, thanks to a helpful hint given to me by Steve Lucas, I’ll correctly guess this as Frederick G. Bourne in front of the South Side Sportsmans Club in Oakdale.
Looks to be around circa 1900 or so, but further research and looking around is needed for dates and the automobile (Daimler?)
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
That looks like Frederick G. Bourne who, at the time, was the president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company and a member of the South Side Sportsmen’s Club in Oakdale. I believe the photo was taken in front of the main building at the club which is currently on the grounds of the Connetquot River State Park Preserve. I think Bourne had some connection with Mercedes Benz so I’ll guess that’s what the car is. It could be a 1902 or 1903 model which is probably about when the photo was taken. Probably not coincidentally, Bourne and Willie K. were next door neighbors, with Bourne’s estate slightly east of Idlehour.
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
This is simply amazing stuff,never know what we’ll get from you,and thanks to the Helck Family.I mailed you a pictures from the newspaper that I get,that I thought you would like,I mailed it yesterday
From Helck Family Collection: The 1894 Paris-Rouen Race- The First "Road Wagon" Contest
Some parts of this mystery I could solve: the car is a 1901 Winton, standing right in front of the main entrance of the South Side Sportsmen’s Club (Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale, LI, NY). The person on the passenger’s seat however will be a wild guess: Frederick G. Bourne, president of the Singer Sewing Machine Co. Still, there is some logic in this. Bourne had his residence Indian Neck Hall in Oakdale and had joined the South Side Sportsman’s Club in September 1890. William K. Vanderbilt was one of the founders of this Sportsman’s Club (aimed at fishing and hunting) already in 1866, when he was only 17! And the Vanderbilt family had of course also a residence there, Idle Hour. This house burnt down during Willie K. and Virginia Fair’s honeymoon stay in 1899, but was rebuilt immediately.
From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsman's Club in a 1901 Winton
Comment #25, lol. Frank and I will be there and square for the tour, etc. Look forward to finally meet all in person. Is the Creedmoor facility actually allowing access thru the tunnel? And I speak for Frank as well, definitely want to take a good look around the Creedmoor property for LIMP remnants. The more eyes, the better.
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
Thank you for posting coverage of the cleanup event as well as all the material you have provided over the years; I have learned quite a lot about the LIMP from you and your colleagues.
Possible errata: the bridge views above titled “Then: 1972” and “Now: October 29, 2016” indicate “looking west”, however, the direction appears to be eastward.
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From Howard Kroplick:
Jim. good catch. Thanks!
From Update: The Continuing Amazing Restoration of the Historic Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge
Hi Sam III, the underpass on north side is right on, but south side should be located slightly more towards the west. I had to use different satellite image dates to locate each staircase. GPS tracks were also recorded on the site and matched up with both satellite images (see above) - sending Howard some pics. Both staircases are two tier and run straight towards the west. The underpass is located on the west side of both landings. Hope to see you all on Sat for this fantastic tour. Amazing stuff guys!
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
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