Vanderbilt Cup Races

One simply cannot look at that 1930s sky view without being saddened by the glimpse of the next shot where a proud steeple seems to top something looking more like a modern Marriott. I love the Garden City hotel and its history but truly feel the look and feel of the newest version could have been FAR better in attesting to the original look(s) of the previous hotel(s) in that incredible property.

From Then & Now: The Garden City Hotel

I will attend.  We’ve been to your museum several times with several friends and it’s crowded but great. Thank you for saving all that memorabilia.  I grew up in Freeport too and loved the track.

From An Evening With Marty Himes- Stock Car Driver, Museum Owner and Auto Racing Historian

My fondest memory of the original hotel was attending an annual antiques show held there with my parents. I always found at least one pre war toy car or truck to add to my collection, all of which I still have. There were even some Vanderbilt Cup race items as well - including a souvenir cup produced by the Locomobile company on one sellers table. I do recall the price - $8.00; but I passed as that was a lot of money for a 10 year old kid, besides $4 bought me an cast iron toy car at that show!

From Then & Now: The Garden City Hotel

In that 1906 ad, “exclusive patronage” sure strikes an uncomfortable and politically-incorrect chord today.  We’ve come a long way, baby, but we still have a long way to go.  Sam, III

From Then & Now: The Garden City Hotel

From Chris Bain:

Having you and the Black Beast at the fair was my favorite part of the day…. especially the RIDES and whenever you fired up the engine… Wow!

Thanks a million!

Chris

Chris Bain, President
Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society

From Smiles and Thumbs Up from the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society Fall Country Fair

Mostly Williston Park, with Willis Avenue towards the left, the LIRR to the right of center, and Roslyn Road to the right, all with bridges over them.  The Roslyn toll house is vaguely visible, as is the access road.  The curve at the left is a stretch over towards where the public library is now; as the road moves east, it parallels Sigsbee Avenue in Albertson (behind the houses on the south side of the street) as it heads towards (through the current DPW site), and crosses over, Willis Avenue.  Also shows sections of Albertson and East Williston.

From Mystery Foto #35 Solved:Williston Park/East Williston/Albertson Section of the Motor Parkway in 1938

From Stephanie Hall:

Dear Howard,

If I was to pick the “star” of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society Fall Fair, She would be sleek and black and have the name “Bête Noir” emblazoned on her side!

How can we ever thank you enough!! Your wonderful “Black Beast” was such a hit!  Every time I looked up I saw a trail of kids getting their pictures taken Behind the wheel and when you fired her up….. INCREDIBLE!  She was like a movie star, followed around by flashing cameras and local paparazzi.

There was a terrific follow-up article in yesterday’s Port News… while I was hoping the full picture of her would be printed, I have to admit the attached picture of a baby propped behind her wheel is so wonderful!  I am attaching a few extra pictures (and may forward additional in a separate email…)

It is so hard for non-profit organizations these days.  We compete with each other and the economy for diminished discretionary funds from families that are sometimes struggling.  Your “Black Beast” and her “star power” was a draw to our fair that made a huge difference to our “bottom line”.

THANK YOU! Really, thank you so much from us all!

All the best and thank you again,

Stephanie Hall
Media and Publicty
___________________________________________
Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society

From Smiles and Thumbs Up from the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society Fall Country Fair

Wow.  Amazing Photo.  It took me a few minutes, and I am surprised, since it is so close to my house.  Albertson is to the north, Williston Park to the south.  The bridges cross over Willis Avenue and the LIRR.  The gravel pit in the northwest of the picture is now Albertson Park.  The bridge over Roslyn Road is also there, as long as the toll house off Roslyn Rd.  Not sure of the year of this photo, but the bridges look all intact.  -joe

From Mystery Foto #35 Solved:Williston Park/East Williston/Albertson Section of the Motor Parkway in 1938

I believe the aerial shows the Williston Park / Albertson / East Williston section of the LIMP The three bridges are the Willis ave, LIRR Oyster Bay branch, and Roslyn Road bridges. The other structure is the Roslyn Lodge just west of the Roslyn rd. on the south side. A few years ago, when I lived for a short time in Albertson on the north side of the LIMP just off Willis ave, I found a parkway post buried on its side behind my garage. I dug it out and now have it at the end of my driveway. My elderly neighbor still had a post upright in her yard she said was there when she bought her house new in 1950. Great photo, even better website!

From Mystery Foto #35 Solved:Williston Park/East Williston/Albertson Section of the Motor Parkway in 1938

This section looks like the section that separates Williston Park and Albertson. It looks like you can see the old Park Ave school. Also Willis Ave, the LIRR and Roslyn Rd.

From Mystery Foto #35 Solved:Williston Park/East Williston/Albertson Section of the Motor Parkway in 1938

Howard,have you been there since the clean-up or know about how it looks at this time? I was there and saw what it looks like,it’s not good,to bad I didn’t have my camera,I think you should go and look for yourself and you’ll see what I mean,you’ll be shocked at what you see,I was

From The Amazing North Hempstead Clean-Up Day of the Motor Parkway in East Williston

Sure wish The Black Beast could be at Cruise To The Show,I could tell some people to come to see it,I’ll be there anyway.

From Alco Black Beast Upcoming 2014 Events

These are indeed nice photos of the LIMP in this area. I’m very interested in seeing any pictures you might have Howard of the Newbridge Road LIMP bridge which would be a about a mile east of the Carman Ave. bridge. Hopefully that will be one of your featured bridges in the near future. Thanks for the photos!

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #37: Carman Avenue Highway Bridge in East Meadow

Howard - guess I was too late - my entry was going to be Sayville also based on Al’s photo of the Kensington Hotel.  But I spent too much time trying to find the yacht club flag shown in the picture.  I e-mailed you a NY Times article from Sept. 1905 showing the hotel and others and 4 routes of interest to motorists on LI - #4 being the Vanderbilt Cup Race route.

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: The Sayville Automobile Club in Front of the Kensington Hotel in Sayville

Ken, the photo was donated by a person “whose grandfather was a member of the Sayville Automobile Club.” -

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: The Sayville Automobile Club in Front of the Kensington Hotel in Sayville

Howard - I recently came across an article about a sport or game that Art Pardington conceived. It was like a scavenger hunt (but not really) for motorists traveling in the Queens area. Here is the link from my Web site. Have you heard of this?

http://firstsuperspeedway.com/articles/pardingtons-game

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com CQI #1: Comments, Questions, and Insights

Quite a puzzle. 
It also occurs to me :how do we know the group is a car club and if so what might the name and background of that club be?

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: The Sayville Automobile Club in Front of the Kensington Hotel in Sayville

It must be a hotel out east,because the signs are, to New York and Brooklyn on one,St James on the other like I said before. Can’t make out the name,so can’t search for it to find out where it is

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: The Sayville Automobile Club in Front of the Kensington Hotel in Sayville

They certainly are Roger

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #37: Carman Avenue Highway Bridge in East Meadow

From Daniel S.:

I have been fascinated by the Motor Parkway since my childhood when I would walk the stretch in northeast Queens and listen to stories told my dad, who, as a child, experienced the thrill of driven on the road by a rich uncle and still had vivid memories many years later. (He would be 100 years old if he was alive today.)

From him, I first learned about deadman’s curve, although from your 2010 post, I realize that he was talking about the “second” curve. He, and other, older relatives with contemporary memories of the Motor Parkway vividly recalled that flat, unbacked curve that your reproductions of the 1909 postcard and the 1908 photo shows. To them,  that second curve was “the” deadman’s curve, so it is a puzzle to me how, over time, the other banked curve became known as that while the other curve was somewhat forgotten.

From Then & Now: Deadman's Curve in Bethpage (1908-2014) Updated: April 8, 2014