Vanderbilt Cup Races

Howard,
I’m always in awe of people who can paint or draw such accurate images of automobiles that seem to jump off the page.  Enjoy!!!
Rog

From The Art of Jack Juratovic: 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler

Terrific. I remember well how my friends and I would ride our bikes - without helmets, yet - all the way to, and just beyond, the City line. I always had at least a dime to call home if needed.
I grew up in Fresh Meadows on the other side of Horace Harding Blvd., which became the LIE when it opened in Fresh Meadows in 1959-60. I was 11 y/o in 1959 when I got my first real bike; a three-gear English racer. Being old enough, my friends and I crossed over the LIE by means of the footbridge that connected 196th St. and Peck Ave. While going along Peck Ave, we got to a point where there was a parallel “bike path”; we didn’t know that it was the Motor Parkway. What a ride, all the way to Creedmor.
The road was choppy because the pavement was very worn. Regardless, we built up tremendous 3rd gear speed going down what was the long final grade.
Your efforts in preserving the heritage of the Motor Parkway are most worthwhile, given that its preserved portions are “living history.”
Thank you.
Roy Warner
Boca Raton, FL

From New VanderbiltCupRaces.com Series: My Motor Parkway Story #1- Jerry Mintz

Foto G is the Clarence Mackay estate in Roslyn. Just another unbelievable LI Gold Coast masterpiece of yesteryear.

The main gate is still standing, right across from Roslyn HS, the water tower remains in tact and one of the beautiful horse statues at the bottom of the pic is located right on Main Street next to Roslyn Duck Pond.

From Mystery Fotos #19 Amost Solved : Eight Amazing 1928 Aerials from the Cradle of Aviation Archives

Photo C - Forest HIlls, south of LIRR -
Photo D - former Mineola High School circa 1929-1935
Photo E - Curtis Manufacturing facility, Garden City.

From Mystery Fotos #19 Amost Solved : Eight Amazing 1928 Aerials from the Cradle of Aviation Archives

Our parents would all be arrested if they raised kids today the way we were raised! My kids don’t believe anything I tell them in terms of how we grew up! We baby these kids so much now!

This looks like a great idea, hearing stories and seeing the pics. I love the then and now pics so maybe insert pics of what locations look like now if possible!

From New VanderbiltCupRaces.com Series: My Motor Parkway Story #1- Jerry Mintz

Wow! What an amazing aerial of Beacon Towers! Awesome post.

From Amazing Aerials from the Cradle of Aviation: #4 A View That Might Have Inspired "The Great Gatsby"

Ted:  You’re right. This is gonna be good.

From New VanderbiltCupRaces.com Series: My Motor Parkway Story #1- Jerry Mintz

Jeff:  Great catch on your dad’s part. I’ve heard stories of real estate purchases that went kaput within 6 months because of highway development.

Chris:  Heard that one but my all time Cult fav was ‘Burnin’ for You’. And don’t forget ‘The Reaper’. Geez, I was admitted in that same hospital (LIJ) in ’76 when it was first released, diagnosed with type 1. Would you believe the hosp today, has no record of events back then?? Amazing! :D Guys, drop by every Fri to solve the mysteries, no points loss for trying, and Howard keeps ‘em interesting.

From Exclusive: 1956 Aerial Views of the Construction of the Long Island Expressway in Lake Success

What an awesome story, Jerry. I definitely would’ve explored right along with you. Even though I’m a bit of a younger generation, taking my bike far from home still wasn’t a big deal as a kid. Now I make sure my boys have their cellphones when out and about.

From New VanderbiltCupRaces.com Series: My Motor Parkway Story #1- Jerry Mintz

This should be a very interesting series.I might even have a little something,you might know about it,by where I use to live.

From New VanderbiltCupRaces.com Series: My Motor Parkway Story #1- Jerry Mintz

Nice detective work. With the northside buildings still intact today, it’s possible the mystery hotel along with the other southside dwellings were all razed (or moved) at some point for today’s 7-lane expanded boulevard. Also Willie K’s poultry house at the field looks designed by John Russell Pope, similar to the original lodges.
_________________________________________

From Howard Kroplick

Frank, I agree. It appears to be designed by Pope.

From MysteryFoto #18 Solved: An Abandoned Hotel on Little Neck Parkway and Northern Boulevard in 1926

I missed the last couple of mystery photos ( away on vacation, boys week off from school ). This one that Al provided looked interesting and difficult. Not really having the time to delve into this one, I figured at least of couple of you would solve it. And that you did. Congrats to all. Always enjoy knowing what was the past and the present.

From MysteryFoto #18 Solved: An Abandoned Hotel on Little Neck Parkway and Northern Boulevard in 1926

I’m writing a book titled “Cleveland, The Original Motor City, 1897-1906” which of course includes much Peerless history, but lacking biographical data on Charles Burman. What can you tell me?

From In Search of Driver/Mechanician Charles Burman Updated: 10/30/2019

Looking at The original uncropped photo, the buildings across the street from the mystery building on Northern are still there. The building for sale on the opposite corner has a ‘for sale’ sign on the front and I’ll assume this was razed for the Chase bank building there now.

From MysteryFoto #18 Solved: An Abandoned Hotel on Little Neck Parkway and Northern Boulevard in 1926

Addendum:  No. 6 Little Neck Rd also came up fruitless. The sign likely is pointing to the Great Neck Lodge off Lakeville Rd., and since 45mi of road is stated, this photo must be after 1928 when the western terminus was at Fresh Meadows off Horace Harding Blvd.

From MysteryFoto #18 Solved: An Abandoned Hotel on Little Neck Parkway and Northern Boulevard in 1926

From Gary Hammond

Above Photo from the Queens Borough President’s Collection, NYC Municipal Archives, NYC Dept. of Records, Digitized photo # bpq_0175-f
Mystery Photo #18 is a cropped version of a much larger photo

Exact location:  As marked on the photo – [photo taken looking] “N.E. on Northern Blvd., 50’ W. of Little Neck Pky.”  The old wood building is now the site of the Doyle B. Shaffer Funeral Home, 45-09 Little Neck Parkway.  Judging by its architecture, this new building probably was built a year or so after the photo was taken, as the current Chase bank on the opposite corner was built in 1927. The most amazing part of the full photo image is that the “modern” brick stores across the street on Northern Blvd still stand today! (see Google maps)

Rationale: On a c.1901 map this spot was shown as the corner of Broadway [aka North Hempstead Turnpike / Northern Blvd] and Little Neck Road.  Under the eaves of the porch, to the right of the Mineola Fair poster is a sign “LITTLE NECK RD”; another sign points to the right, down Little Neck Road towards the “Community Church / of / Little Neck” [which still stands south of Northern Blvd on Little Neck Pkwy, and was Incorporated in 1926, so photo had to be 1926 or later]

Vanderbilt Field: Vanderbilt Field was originally listed as being located in Little Neck; today it is part of Lake Success, located off of Vanderbilt Drive;  The Field was chartered in 1928 as The Vanderbilt Field Association of Nassau County “to promote athletics, especially among the members of the 6th Battalion Association of the United States Naval Reserve of the 3rd Naval District”.  Among the Directors was William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. (of course).  (See The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sunday, January 8, 1928, p. 25.)  The field already existed by 1924 as it is mentioned as being in use at that time.  (See The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Monday, August 4, 1924, p. 21.) When Wm. K. Vanderbilt died on January 8, 1944 he still owned the field; in his will he gave the property to the Vanderbilt Field Assoc. along with a trust fund of $50,000 for maintenance of the property (See The County Review, Riverhead, Thursday, January, 27, 1944) The property is now the Inc. Village of Lake Success’ Village Park.

Likely Motor Parkway Entrance: Great Neck Lodge

Year of photo: October 7, 1926

What type of business was located in the building: at the turn of the century it was a hotel

SIGNS…SIGNS…SIGNS!!!  What a great collection of signs!
Besides the signs mentioned above:
• “Mineola Fair” – you can barely make out the dates: 15, 16, 17, 18;  The 84th Mineola Fair was held Sept. 14-18, 1926
• “RED LION INN” on an arrow pointing to the right
• ‘SHELTER ROCK / COUNTRY CLUB” which was at Searingtown, but no longer exists
• “CAMP UPTON” with an arrow to the right
• “VANDERBILT FIELD / 1ST TURN LEFT.” with a right arrow
• “Mason’s / PEAKS / 5 CENTS”
• “FOR SALE / THIS CORNER / 135 X 200 / H.S. JOBES / LITTLE NECK / PHONE/ BAYSIDE 2410”; Harry S. Jobes was a prominent real estate agent and property manager in the area
• “MOTOR PARKWAY / AUTOMOBILES ONLY / REACHES ALL POINTS ON LONG ISLAND / 45 MILES LONG” with an arrow pointing to the right
• “VAUDEVILLE / ALWAYS! / AN….INSTITUTION / GOOD …KING [Parking? or Booking?]  SPACE and ALWAYS A GOOD SHOW / PLAYHOUSE”; probably Little Neck Playhouse
• “LITTLE NECK / PLAYHOUSE / AUG. 23 / THE LI… PARADE”

From MysteryFoto #18 Solved: An Abandoned Hotel on Little Neck Parkway and Northern Boulevard in 1926

Stumped! Only gathered the Vanderbilt Field was located somewhere in Little Neck, Nassau County and was used for athletic and recreational activities, Willie K being a director of the field. Harry S. Jobes was the manager of the Waverly Hills Real Estate Development Company. Hats off to anyone who solves this!

From MysteryFoto #18 Solved: An Abandoned Hotel on Little Neck Parkway and Northern Boulevard in 1926

Harold,
There were two Robert Moses bridges built over the Northern State Parkway. One just West of Lakeville Road and one just West of New Hyde Park Road.

This is the bridge near Lakeville;
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/newsday_1954_motor_parkway_ghosts_haunt_northern_state

This was the bridge near NHP Rd.;
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_65_can_you_identify_this_long_island_bridge

From Exclusive: 1956 Aerial Views of the Construction of the Long Island Expressway in Lake Success

The building was located at the south east corner of Little Neck Parkway (then Little Neck Road?) and Northern Blvd. The sign indicating Vanderbilt Field (Vanderbilt’s naval reserve base) is currently the Lake Success Village Park. The “first left” indicated by the sign would be at what is now Bates Rd. The photo was taken between 1921 and 1927. Camp Upton closed in 1921 and the Village of Lake Success was incorporated in 1927.
The Motor Parkway entrance would be Great Neck.

From MysteryFoto #18 Solved: An Abandoned Hotel on Little Neck Parkway and Northern Boulevard in 1926

From Rick Jorgensen:

  Congratulations on the Motor Parkway Show!

  You have done so very much to bring forth interest and knowledge of the Parkway and those who raced for the Cup and those who built the Parkway.
Most Sincerely,
Rick A. Jorgensen
Founder of Golden Era Automobile Association

From Smiles and Thumbs-Ups at the First Car Show Ever Held on the Long Island Motor Parkway