Vanderbilt Cup Races

In response to Brian McCarthy’s question regarding St. George Lake. Happy to report the lake is well and always has water. The Town of North Hempstead recently cleared the surrounding areas of overgrowth, enclosed the lake with a lovely wrought iron fence and provided benches. The low lying areas north of the lake on both sides of Searingtown Road drain into the lake. If you wish to see what the area looked like before Searingtown Road was built, (Previously Manhasset Ave.), stop in at the Shelter Rock Library and ask to see the photos I donated to the Library a couple of years ago. Al Velocci

From A 1923 Property Map of Nassau County Highlighting the Motor Parkway

Mike LaBarbera reminds me of one of our original Motor Parkway Panel goals, to coordinate all these maps over a current USGS Topo Map (or, at least, over the latest Hagstroms)  as overlays.  We never got that far, although the Nassau County Parks proposal maps:

  http://sbiii.com/limpnass/limpncpk.html

and the Nassau County aerial series of 1926, 1950, and 2000 were sure a good start.  If I ever posted the latter, I can’t find it, so I think I’ll do so next - stay tuned here!  Sam, III

From A 1923 Property Map of Nassau County Highlighting the Motor Parkway

Hello everyone. When viewing this sign, you’d think that there is a direct exit from the LIMP onto NSPkwy. And perhaps there was during the construction periods of the NSPkwy (1931 to 1938, where temporary on or off exits may have existed with an active LIMP). Since this sign location is unknown, I’d like to suggest 2 possible scenarios. Motoring east or west on the LIMP, I could exit off at Lakeville Rd; and then head a little south to NSPkwy. Or, motoring north or south on the LIMP, I could exit off at Jericho Tpke. And then head a little east to the NSPkwy. Now, I’m going to help my son with his homework.

From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)

Yes, it was a wonderful event. I drove up from Philadelphia with my son and friend Binney Beale. David Helck took my son Jeff for an unforgettable ride in Old 16 and we were passengers in John LeBaire’s magnificent PIerce 66 for the tour.

The only sad note was standing next to Jerry Helck when the state trooper told him that Priscilla had just died.

From The Vintage Automobiles of the 80th Anniversary of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

- What were the possible dates when this 3 feet x 2 feet sign was active? Hint: The sign’s provenance stated the sign was from the 1930s.

Looking for a time when both roadways coexisted. The first section of the Northern State opened in 1933 and the Motor Parkway closed in April 1938 making that the possible time span.

- Although the location of the sign is unknown, provide your best guess and rationale of where the sign was likely placed?

Complete guess here, but maybe in Ronkonkoma to direct the traveler who was about to set off for a trip back to NYC.

-Assuming a driver on the Motor Parkway followed this sign, what was the logical exit to reach Northern State Parkway?

Another guess would be the Great Neck lodge on Lakeville road where they intesect.

From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)

Addendum to my previous reply: the sign could have been at the intersection of Main St and Railroad Avenue in Sayville (Railroad becomes Lakeland as it heads northwest toward Lake Ronkonkoma and the LIMP).

From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)

1. The NSP opened in 1933. The LIMP closed in 1938. That’s the window.

2. The sign could have been anywhere from Lake Ronkonkoma west to the Nassau/Suffolk line. One possible thought is Jericho Turnpike at Harned Road. Another is Sunrise Highway at Lakeland Avenue.
3. In ascending chronological order as the NSP was extended, Lakeville Road, Roslyn Road and then Jericho Turnpike (Mineola).

From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)

The first section of the Northern State Pkwy. opened in 1933 (from Grand Central Pkwy. to Willis Ave.) and the LIMP closed in 1938 so the sign could have been active only during that 5 year span. Trying to guess the possible location(s) of the sign requires a few assumptions be made: since it is advising drivers how to get TO New York, and it is telling drivers to make a left turn, it was probably intended for viewing by either northbound drivers on a north/south road or by westbound drivers on an east/west road. Since it implies access to both the NSP and LIMP by going in the same direction, I think we can also assume that entrances to both parkways would have been relatively near each other at that time. Following this logic, I think the sign was probably placed on the westbound side of Old Power House Road slightly east of the intersection with Roslyn Road. The NSP was only a few hundred feet south of this point and the LIMP Roslyn Toll Lodge was about a mile south. An argument could be made for similar placement at the intersection of Lakeville Road and Old Westbury Road but I don’t think so because it probably would have mentioned Grand Central Pkwy. While I don’t think the sign was used for LIMP drivers, it could logically have been placed at either the Great Neck, Roslyn, or Meadowbrook Lodges.

From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)

Or it could be the terminus at Fresh Meadows Queens, for cars to continue on to New York City. But looking at the shiny pipe conduit behind it, this sign is hanging in a museum somewhere.

From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)

My guess is at Lakeville Road (Where Marcus Avenue is) or the bridge east of that which also crosses the NSP.

From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)

That must have been quite a day!  Hard to believe it’s 26 years ago already!

From Memories of the Long Island Old Car Club and the 80th Anniversary of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I keep revisiting this page for the real feel of the parkway that photos can’t produce.

Howard, are there any other films or home movies out there of the parkway in action? That would be neat. Thanks for posting.

From Film: W.C Fields Driving On the Long Island Motor Parkway in "Sally of the Sawdust"

You can also see the rustic wood barricade gates on both sides just beyond the kiosk in the Opening Day pic, as exactly positioned and labeled in the topo map.

From In Search of the Nassau Boulevard Toll Booth: Part III

In checking back on this one, the tracks at Main Street Mineola are angled slightly away from each other for the oyster bay bend….leaving only Willis ave or Roslyn Rd in Mineola as a choice. Other possiblility could be Lakeville Road which has parallel double tracks. The ancient looking Hospital has to be on some old map somewhere.

From Mystery Foto #55 Solved: Walter Christie Driving the #9 Christie in Mineola on September 21,1906

Cool

From A 1923 Property Map of Nassau County Highlighting the Motor Parkway

I also noticed the mirrors. They seem to be missing in the “now” front view or I just can’t pick them out.
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From Howard Kroplick

Side mirrors have been placed back on the automobile after the Pebble Beach Concours.

From Then & Now: Chrysler's Chrysler

Fantastic pre-parkway map Howard, the established roads make this easy to figure out where the present day stuff is. Wouldn’t it be cool to see some overlays with present day locations, Mike.

From A 1923 Property Map of Nassau County Highlighting the Motor Parkway

It’s nice to have these maps in this format, thanks Howard. I’m thinking of St George lake near Herricks Rd and Shelter Rock Rd. Is it dried up? I remember a depression on the ground in this area. Maybe it was linked with the “swamp” just on the w/s of Shelter, near the LIMP. I’ll have to poke around to find a Suffolk County LIMP map like this one.

From A 1923 Property Map of Nassau County Highlighting the Motor Parkway

Both 30hp and 60hp are correct, I guess. The Mors type L had a 9.2 litre engine which developed 30hp at 900 rpm, maximum output was 60hp.

From Mystery Foto #96 Solved: Willie K. at the 1903 Eagle Rock Hill Climb in his Mors

As an avid bicyclist and local history buff, I am so excited to see the Motor Parkway Trail taking shape, and I am grateful to Howard and the Preservation Society for all you have done.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Tom Montalbano
Syosset, NY

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Update on the Nassau County Motor Parkway Trail at Eisenhower Park