Vanderbilt Cup Races

Michael: I believe you’re exactly right.
Art: That would be neat. That’s a hot spot for any business. Travelers may disrupt and slow down traffic by parking all over the intersection again :D

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

The black beast rides again!

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

From Artie:

Thanks for your participation in our show.

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

Went passed the intersection today and noticed the building housing the Shower Door is for sale.  How about a collection to buy it and rebuild Krug’s Inn on the spot?

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

2 things to clarify - 136 Jericho Tpk is on the North East corner of the intersection, and if the building was built in 1890 according to town records, then the 1906 picture looking north should show it, but since it is slightly east of the corner, therefore the building would be just out of the frame of the picture (it would be the location of the Mineola Diner).

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

Re the 999 car Howard and the program were correct it is a modern interpetation of the Baker Torpedo Kid , Tim George is working on the Torpedo for Kid stuff go to torpedo kid.com the site has a facebook link I posted some build info there, looking for 2016 events to take the car.

From Highlights from the 2015 Port Jefferson Hill Climb (Updated 8/28/15)

Dick Gorman:
Tim Ivers is the same you asked about. (Park Place, Uniondale)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

From Bob Hoffman:
  Looking E / B Jericho Tpke at Willis Ave Mineola

  Bldg at 10 O’Clock two story two chimney still there behind Mineola Diner

Bldg at 3 O’Clock maybe Ashers Drug Store

Teddy Bear sitting on radiator….Pres TR

Great Pics Thank You

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

There will be some guessing in my answer. Possibly the photo shows a moment in an outing organised by the Long Island Automobile Club. The american flags indicate some special day, e.g. Independence Day, July 4th. The location is at Krug’s Hotel looking west, there is no doubt about that. About the cars, unfortunately the photo is not very clear and sharp, and also not all cars are all that visible, so at the moment my idea is that we see from left to right: Maxwell, unknown tourer, Winton, unknown, Reo (with bear mascotte), Reo, possibly Knox sportabout, Reo and Ford (probably a model S). All cars are 1907 or 1908.
The teddy bear on the Reo could of course very well point at the president Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt. 1908 was an election year (the election was to be held on 3 November) and it was Roosevelt’s last year as a president, having served already two terms. His successor would become William H. Taft. So another possibility is that the tour was related to the coming election.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

Howard
My grandfather used to tell me about an annual motorcycle race on LI do you have any info on it ?

From Motorcycles of the Vanderbilt Cup Races Updated: 4/28/2016

Car looks great!  Do I hear Jan & Dean background music?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj91PQdTTE0

From The 1963 Mustang III Concept Show Car a Showstopper at the 11th Annual St. Patrick's Car Show

I want to thank those people who mentioned my great-grandfather, JJ Lannin, in their comments.

JJ was the proprietor of the Garden City Hotel, Salisbury Links and Clubhouse,he also owned large tracts of land in Long Island, owner of The Granada Hotel in Brooklyn, and he also owner of Roosevelt Field (airport); among many other resorts and properties throughout the NorthEast.

JJ was also owner of the Boston Red Sox and he’s credited with signing “the Babe” to play first for his Providence Gray team and then the Red Sox. He also owned the Buffalo Bisons.

Please note that my website LanninWalk.com is undergoing a major facelift currently in preparation for The Lannin Walk 2 “Bringing Hannah Home”. So, please follow my adventure on Twitter @LanninWalk and @JJLanninGhost.

Deepest regards,
Christopher Lannin Tunstall

From Mystery Foto #11 Revealed & Updated: Barbot's Flying Flivver Over Merrick Avenue in 1923

What is the exact location and orientation of the photo?  Corner of Willis Avenue and Jericho Turnpike, Mineola.  Northwest looking across from Krug’s Hotel. 

Which building in this photo is still standing?  The building across from Krug’s on left side of the picture - now “Atlantic Travel” (136 Jericho Turnpike).  According to Town of Hempstead records the building was built in 1890. 

What is the most surprising aspect of this photo in comparison with its current view?  Autos were able to stop in traffic for a photo.  Wouldn’t try that today.  Also, without the diner that’s on the corner today, where did everyone meet for breakfast before the auto tour?  lol

What is your best guess for the purpose of this cruise? Provide a rationale.  Seeing that it was the summer of 1908, and several flags were out, the cruise could have been part of sort of campaign rally.  (see next answer).

Where is a symbol of the 1908 President of the United States?  A teddy bear, symbol of Teddy Roosevelt was mounted as a hood ornament on an auto. Wonder what our current crop of presidential candidates would use as an ornament.  Any suggestions?

Identify the automobiles in the photos.  Can see a Reo and possibly an Atlas RunAbout. 

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

Based on a Feb. 7, 1907 Brooklyn Daily Eagle article, a motor scooter club was to be headquartered in Patchogue, with none other than Jefferson De Mont Thompson and A.R. Pardington as the club’s originators.  “With a motor scooter club on Long Island for the winter months and the parkway course for summer automobile racing, the motor speeding enthusiast will be kept busy throughout the entire year.”

From Motorcycles of the Vanderbilt Cup Races Updated: 4/28/2016

“Theme From a Summer Place.” Love this village scene. I’m focused on that kid at the right playing on the sidewalk with all the empty lots of space surrounding him/her. This place has begun to grow yet still unrecognizable today.
It’s famous Krug’s Corner, popular spot for viewing the races and for gatherings. This intersection is today’s Willis Ave and Jericho (Jerico) Tpke in Mineola, looking east towards Jericho. (Howard, sending an attachment of same intersection but looking north towards Willis). It is fantastic the house on the left at today’s 136 Jericho Tpke still stands intact with little change; today appears to have received just a brick facelift, with its front porch and center chimney removed (should this be a historic landmark??). Looking at the zoom through the car’s rear window, on the right seems a speck of the white RR crossing diamond sign, when the railroad crossed at grade level (the tracks are not visible but a dip in the road apparent). Today, Jericho dips under the RR.
Wouldn’t have guessed the cruise’s purpose without the presidential hint (great catch!).
The opossum doll strapped on the hood (teddy bear ears are larger) was ‘Billy Possum’, Pres. William Taft’s answer to Pres. Teddy Roosevelt’s teddy bear. Toy manufacturers believed with Roosevelt’s departure, the teddy bear would soon become unpopular and therefore needed a replacement. The 300+ lb. Taft likened the idea to one of his favorite dishes. Roosevelt keeping his promise not to run a third term supported Taft for president (his Secretary of War), winning the election favorably. Roosevelt and Taft would again run in 1912 but both were defeated by Pres. Woodrow Wilson. I’m guessing the cruise’s purpose was to help support Taft’s election throughout the island’s two cities, villages, and hamlets. With those roads depicted in the mystery photo, I doubt they covered them all. Teddy bears still rule!!
http://mentalfloss.com/article/51030/billy-possum-president-tafts-answer-teddy-bear

Leaving the cars to the buffs. I always learn something from them. Thanks for the song guys. 

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

Howard, apologies on the timing of the Robertson photo, Bourque is in the pits, so not the checker but should be simple to figure the lap.  Again, apologies.  Chuck

From Motorcycles of the Vanderbilt Cup Races Updated: 4/28/2016

You’re looking east on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola at the intersection of Willis Avenue, the famous Krug’s Corners, with Krug’s Hotel on the left. The building to the right of Krug’s Hotel is still there today. It’s 136 Jericho Turnpike, currently occupied by Atlantic Travel. To me, the most surprising aspect is the width of Jericho Turnpike. It’s not that much wider today than it was 108 years ago. Since there is a “Teddy” bear on the radiator of one of the cars in the center of the photo, I’m guessing the group is on its way to Oyster Bay to hear President “Teddy” Roosevelt give a speach to the U.S. Olympic team, which he did on August 31, 1908. Other than the REO (second car from the right), I have no clue for the remainder of the cars. I’ll leave that for the Brass Era experts.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course

It is said all true stories end in death.  This book is a true story about Charles Balke.

In 2004 in an attic in Kentucky a family member of a recently deceased widow found a cache of newspaper clippings of a distant relative the them, but the husband of the widow.  She was the wife of Charles “Fearless” Balke who was Indian’s top driver for a short time.  So many in those day had that title, for a short while.  It is a quick read and well worth the look back from his career starting in 1908 and ending in 1914.  He raced at the first event at Indy in 1909.  The end of the book shows the different style of racing bikes of the day which is quite informative. 

The book is simply named “Fearless-The Lord of the Murderdrome” by Rick and Lane Ongstad.  It does fit in so well to the time of the Vanderbilt races.  It can be found on Ebay but often in European dealers.  I enjoyed learning a lot of what it took to be a short-lived star on the board tracks of 1910.

From Motorcycles of the Vanderbilt Cup Races Updated: 4/28/2016

What can I say?  The photos are incredible and so is his story.
Rog

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

Whoops!  Forgot to credit your 31 Jan 2012 Then & Now: Krug’s Corner in Mineola.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A Summer 1908 Touring Cruise to Krug's Corner and the 1908 Race Course