Vanderbilt Cup Races

Overview (drawing) of the Bethpage State Park golf courses looking north.
Guessing on the date to be about 1960 because the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway looks
to be running top to bottom on the left and five 18 hole courses are showing.
The remains of the LIMP appear near the rectangular polo field on upper left.

From Mystery Foto #27 Solved:Model of the Proposed Golf Courses of Bethpage State Park Golf (Circa 1933)

What great forensic work! Amazing story to accompany a unique car.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: How Vincent Gardner Saved the Mustang III from Being Destroyed

What happened? I didn’t think you were going to post this until Monday, I guess because I really had no answers to talk about did I? Happy Fourth again. I’m going into town to watch the fireworks in Historical Williamsburg, about 15 minutes from the apartment.

From Mystery Foto #27 Solved:Model of the Proposed Golf Courses of Bethpage State Park Golf (Circa 1933)

Looks like a map or scaled model layout of Bethpage Park (Central Park) and golf course in Bethpage, north up. Motor Pkwy is the vertical roadway furthest left, perpendicularly crossing Powell Ave. This map/layout is dated 1908-1950s with straightened, tree-lined Plainview Rd still visible north of the LIMP.

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/long_island_motor_parkway_bridge_series_48_plainview_road_bridge_in_central

Ted: Best wishes to you and family at your new home in sunny Virginia. Many historical areas and structures survive and well maintained in Williamsburg.

From Mystery Foto #27 Solved:Model of the Proposed Golf Courses of Bethpage State Park Golf (Circa 1933)

Y’all laugh at this one, from the looks of the photo, it’s Long Island, where it starts and where it ends, I have no idea, it’s a pretty long stretch. I’ll probably laugh when I read the answers. Hope y’all had a safe and Happy Fourth,

From Mystery Foto #27 Solved:Model of the Proposed Golf Courses of Bethpage State Park Golf (Circa 1933)

In this site…..1899 and before the USA had 10 races.  Yet the Belmont Driving Park was not one of them.  So more was going on than the Times let on but as noted they may have had a different criteria for what was a race.  http://www.autoracingrecords.com/racelist.php?year=1895

From The First Automobile Race Held on Long Island (April 14, 1900) Updated: 7/3/15

Here’s a race in 1896 in RI…...I’m starting to guess there may have been more than 4 before the LI race…...perhaps only 4 road races?  The Times did not recognize stadium racing?  A debate for others.  http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_363.html

From The First Automobile Race Held on Long Island (April 14, 1900) Updated: 7/3/15

The “first 50 mile automobile race” claim by the NY paper may be inaccurate.  The first ever automobile race in the US was run on a 54 mile course in 1895.  No doubt the LI race was faster than 7.3 miles per hour. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/duryea.htm

From The First Automobile Race Held on Long Island (April 14, 1900) Updated: 7/3/15

Bethpage State Park in Old Bethpage (formerly Bethpage), NY, circa 1938.  The L.I. Motor Parkway can be seen on the left side of the frame.

From Mystery Foto #27 Solved:Model of the Proposed Golf Courses of Bethpage State Park Golf (Circa 1933)

I’m away for the weekend and can only give this a quick view and guess…

This looks to be a map of the Bethpage golf course with the LIMP on the left side of the photo pre-1959 when rt 135 construction started, likely in the 30’s.

From Mystery Foto #27 Solved:Model of the Proposed Golf Courses of Bethpage State Park Golf (Circa 1933)

Bethpage State Park.  LIMP runs from lower left to upper left.

From Mystery Foto #27 Solved:Model of the Proposed Golf Courses of Bethpage State Park Golf (Circa 1933)

In addition to the link above pertaining to the Belmont Driving Park I also found this….the taxi which arrives regardless, it wouldn’t happen today.  http://www.yesterdaystopstory.com/cabbie-dies-way-station/

From The First Automobile Race Held on Long Island (April 14, 1900) Updated: 7/3/15

July 28, 1899 was one of the prior races in America in Narberth PA.  The track was built for horse racing outside Philadelphia PA for the nations Centennial celebration in 1876 and continued for many years…....but car racing waited a couple decades.  http://phillyhistoryphotos.com/tag/narberth/  I came across this link when researching a couple photos from the Belmont Driving Park in 1912.

From The First Automobile Race Held on Long Island (April 14, 1900) Updated: 7/3/15

A very much different car than all the other Vanderbilt Cars I would say,that’s in body style I mean,the shape and size,shorter and it served it’s purpose as well as could be.I have more time for myself now,finally,things are going much smoother now,almost back to normal

From The Renault Vanderbilt Racer in Germany

A little late, but had to take a quick look to see what’s going on. Wow, I don’t think you ever mentioned this race did you? and if you did I don’t remember, just learned something again from you, it’s unbelievable.

From The First Automobile Race Held on Long Island (April 14, 1900) Updated: 7/3/15

How can I get ahold of the Sanborn map for Mineola?  I live a few blocks north of the old Krug’s Hotel location and would love to see what the area looked like then.
Thanks!
____________________________________________________

From Howard Kroplick

What streets are you looking for?
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From Howard Kroplick

Sanborn maps dating from 1908 and 1907 are typically available online from your local library

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: Nassau County Gildersleeve Inspecting the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

V in photo stands for USN lighter than air, aircraft ( non blimp ). F designates bomber not fighter, may have been mapping from Mitchell Field

From Then & Now: The Motor Parkway Office in Garden City

All did well on this one.I think if I had more time ,I would have given better answers,I just did a rush job and answered what I saw.it’s three weeks already,have about 5 more boxes to unpack..Hopefully by the end of the week we’ll be finished and I’ll be able to find out about car shows here.I’ve seen a few classic cars in my travels There are two in our complex,but don’t know where,I just see them pass our apartment.Bedtime now,have to go to DMV today to make all the changes,very detailed,wish me luck,I need it on this one

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: Nassau County Gildersleeve Inspecting the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

From Davide Grappolo:

Hi Howard,

maybe I can answer to some questions related to Mystery Friday Foto #26.

I found the same image on ‘the Automobile’ vol.XV n.12 (Sept 20, 1906) - that is captioned ‘Sheriff Gildersleeve takes a Corbin official car ride’.

About Sheriff Gildersleeve at the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup I have found that:
- ‘During the hours between 5 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, Sheriff Gildersleeve will see that the crossings are guarded and that the public is well protected’ - Motor (Sept, 1906)
- ‘To prevent speeding on the course by non-contestants, Chairman Thompson has given out that Sheriff Gilderslave of Nassau country, will have constables posted along inviting looking stretches and woe betide the lukyless chauffeur who is tempted to advance his spark to the limit’
- The Motor World vol.XIII n.14 (Sept 6, 1906)

So some answers are:
- Identify the automobile : Corbin
- Identify the man in the back seat : Sheriff Gildersleeve
- What was his role in relation to the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race? : Security
- When was this photo likely taken? : late October

Cheers,
Davide Grappolo

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: Nassau County Gildersleeve Inspecting the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

Howard, hope all is well. Looking for Kenwood Road, Washington Ave area.
Thanks

James

From Then & Now: The Motor Parkway Office in Garden City