Vanderbilt Cup Races

Looking forward to this one. See you there.

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

Hey Frank. It’s great that you supply these older aerials here. In that time period, the LIMP is totally intact and you can also see the beginnings of the present time. Too be quite honest, I did’nt think Howard would approve my previous post. A bit angry I was, that’s not what this is all about. Sorry, Howard. And thankyou.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Not getting definite answers on this one are we? It’s all guessing, logical answers. The pictures are misleading and confusing. I’m agreeing with Frank on this one

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Howard, I’m sticking with the north-side-opening theory and Bob’s account should nail the case tightly closed, but that circular dirt path south of the tracks in the ‘38 aerial throws a wrench into the machine and no doubt, will keep this debate burning bright for years to come. Open the popcorn and enjoy the show! Thank you Al, Hector, and Howard for the wonderful challenge.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Learning about our local history is a hobby for me, and I normally don’t take it too seriously. Yes, it’s quite obvious that the opening was a road /path for farm use. The question what was the use of this opening, it’s primary function wasn’t as a road or ped path. So I tried to come up with a not so obvious answer. Although the creek waters didn’t exactly extend to the opening, they certainly reached into the farm property. So water never ran through this opening, OK. I left other info within my answer like “passageway for horses,cows and other uses”. From what I gather, it was a underpass for farm use.Primarily a farm road. I wasn’t correct word for word, but I had the right idea; not with the drainage hypothesis though.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Was I right about the bridge going north and south, which makes the opening east and west? Thanks.
_______________________________________

From Howard Kroplick

The bridge is approximately north/south.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Hi Howard!  Bob’s remembers this bridge looking west as he climbed on it in his youth.  The opening allowed the farmers, Stymus and Nibbie to go into the village.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Never thought of looking in your book. This was a very good mystery, challenging one, many ways to answers, but which one is right. Waiting to see who got what right, including myself,

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

And, as the 1907 survey seems to point out, the path under the opening joins central avenue, indicating that perhaps it was the actual driveway leading to the Stymus farm. The map may have been printed a few years after the farm’s “Hayday”.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

OK the rectangular opening lies north of the bridge, looking at the maps and their confusing orientation is what makes this a good question but the LIMP ran due north and south, the RR kinda northwest south east, so if the opening was not a public roadway or pedestrian path, then it must have a private farmway underpass for Stymus’s Farm, who owned property on both sides of the bridge (and a path on the 1907 street map looks like a foot path between the town Plaza by the school and the other side bordering his neighbor Nibbe).  I was also thinking that it could have been a drainage culvert, but it looks too high up in the air to serve that purpose, so, yep my best guess is that the opening is on the north side of the bridge, then used as a private farmway underpass.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Al Velocci:  What was the purpose of the large rectangular opening surrounded by concrete on one side of the bridge? Hint: Its primary function was not for use as a road or a public pedestrian walkway.
Hector Gavilla: Was this rectangular opening north or south of the railroad tracks? Accordingly, what is the orientation of the above Mystery Foto: looking east or looking west? Provide your rationale.

All complete guesses this time, but judging by the 1907 survey blueprint, it looks like the opening would have been for an access road to the Nibbe farm. That puts the opening on the north side of the tracks and makes the photo’s view to the West.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Mystery Foto #94 The rectangular opening was north of the rail road. The opening was NOT a Farm bridge, BUT a Farm Tunnel. It connected the Rizzo property together. Keep up the good work guys

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Howard:  Page 83 of your book shows a photo indicating the view is “looking east”  with Central Park to the left of the tracks, and the concrete opening is described as a pedestrian walkway.  The opening appears to be large enough to accommodate a railroad car, or an equestrian path.  The accompanying map shows there may have been a farmway right of way pass through.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Wow what cars, but “YOURS” is still the best, even though that 1928 Chrysler Imperial Le Baron Phaeton was unrestored, it probably wasn’t as perfect and not the only one left

From Hemmings Classic Car: Pebble Beach Concours

I’m going at this methodically. Purpose for the rectangular opening on one side of the abutment, and is this opening on the N or S side of the overpass?  If not PRIMARILY a passageway for horses,cows, etc.( OK, I believe this is on the north side of the overpass; probably on farmland property.) After looking at old topo maps of this area, I noticed blue lines(water) close to this location. So I’m thinking that the opening allowed water passage. The opening looks high enough for “other uses”. I would be looking west if taking the picture. The Starlight Fuel Company photo gave me a clue. The closeup of the overpass has the steel divider for Central Ave towards the right(looking east). The mystery photo has the divider towards the left. Hope I answered this correctly. Good luck everyone.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

I have to do this now or I won’t have a chance to do it Sunday or Monday. I’m pretty sure of my answers on this one. Well here goes nothing, wish me luck. Looking at the pictures over and over, they are a bit confusing, as you said. This is what I got out of it. The purpose of the rectangular opening is only for the construction workers. As for the directions, I hope I’m right, The bridge is going north and south, the opening is east and west, am I right on that? That’s it

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

Confusing indeed. These pictures of the Central Ave bridge were always difficult to determine their correct headings, and the construction photos never helped as well. But based on the second picture of the gent driving the auto may have helped resolve the mystery. The utility pole on the right is casting a shadow towards the left (the north), and the rectangular bridge opening can be barely seen along the left border. So I’m betting that the mystery photo is looking west, putting the opening on the north side of the tracks. I once believed the opening was used for general pedestrian use but there is a photo out there showing the opening dead-ending into a small lot, making the opening inappropriate for general pedestrian use. I was unable to find that photo again.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

THIS WAS AND IS A SPECIAL VENUE FOR THE BUICK CLUB AND YES MY DAUGHTER STEPHANIE SHE LOVE IT   THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS

HOWIE SCHNEIDER

From Buicks Visit a Chrysler at Waterfront at Roslyn

When I first saw at the photo, I thought I would just search through Howard and Al’s book because it looked familiar. And there it was on page 84 with the caption; case closed, mystery solved. But then I thought what if the caption is wrong and there really is a mystery. Let’s assume we’re actually looking west. That means the large rectangular opening is on the north side of the tracks and could be a “farmway” opening for William Stymus to have easy access to both sections of his property.

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

I like Art’s and Michael’s comments also!

From LIHerald.com: Preserving history with a bike path