Vanderbilt Cup Races

From Bob Swanson:

“I had no idea that only 12 ALCO vehicles exist today, I’ve only rode in the one truck. The Paul Milhous 1913 looks like it has been restored since the post card photo was taken my Henry Austin Clark sometime in the 1960’s I believe. Austie found the car in Walter Scott’s junk yard here in Ridgefield in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.

I wonder what other cars were out there at the time. Walt had a repair shop next to his house and it is still there. The care taker of St. Mary’s Cemetery lives there now and the property in back will be used for future expansion. Mom and Dad, along with my Grandparents and both Aunties are buried there. Mrs. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl is just across the way on the corner. I never knew her middle name until I read of her passing. Dad worked for her part time on the weekends in the early 1960’s.

The ALCO Vanderbilt Cup winner lived here while Joel Finn owned it, Dad worked part time for Joel doing carpentry work. He did get a ride in the ALCO.

The 1907 Renault that James Melton had that is now in a Utah collection came out of Ridgefield in the late 1940’s one of seven I believe that William K. Vanderbilt had commissioned for friends. Ridgefield was the only town in Connecticut to have a battle in the Revolutionary War. The Stebbins house on Main Street was part of the barricade the patriots built to slow the British troops on their march to the shore in Westport.

The day Austie Clark told me about the Milhous ALCO he told me the Stebbins were relatives I can’t remember the details. That about drains all the info I have on the topic.”

From In Search of Alcos: #4 1913 Alco Convertible Touring Car Formerly at the Milhous Museum

Dear Mr Henry Austin Clark Jr, I have been trying to locate you for some time.I was in the antique restoration auto busines for a long time ago. I had A 1929 7 year restoration project. This auto was a Studebaker 1929 president cabriolet fe model. I took it to the Hershey 1984 show and it took first junior .I have great color picture of auto.I use to visit your Long Island Automotive Museum many,many times. It was the greatest day spent. I have about 20 of your 1900 car prints 1957 and they framed and matted. Also have some large Auto Framed prints of famous race prints. I am in a wheel chair now 80 yrs old. I would like to like to the value of them, I don’t want to give them away as I need the money now for precriptions.Please contact me as soon your time allows you to do.Respectfully Mr Jerry Gringer

From Memories of Henry Austin Clark, Jr.

Have been searching all over of a video/dvd copy of the closed circuit broadcast of the 1964 Indy 500 race.  It’s hard for me to believe that there isn’t a copy somewhere.  Any response I get would be appreciated.  Thankyou for your time.  The cost of geting it would not be an issue.

                Perry
                908-281-0199

From Archives: Indy 500 Races

Jean-Yves

Good catch! Thanks!,

Howard

From From the Hank Wieand Bowman Collection: Vanderbilt Cup Races (1915-1937)

Hi Howard,
The winner of the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup was Dario Resta in the Peugeot EX3 #9 (already winner of the GP one week before). DePalma drove the Mercedes GP #22 and finished 4th. (visible in the middle of the first row next to the Peugeot). With this car (ex Louis Wagner, 2nd in the 1914 ACF GP at Lyon) owned by E.C. Patterson, DePalma won the Indianapolis 500 in may 1915.

From From the Hank Wieand Bowman Collection: Vanderbilt Cup Races (1915-1937)

Tom:

The track was losing money on each race. In addition, American and European drivers disliked the road racing course.

Howard

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

Indeed great aerial shots. Why did the Roosevelt Raceway only last for 2 “road races”?
Development creeping in already at that point?

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

From John M:

“I would love to help in the maintenance and restoration of the Motor Pkwy.  As I child growing up in Fresh Meadows my dad often took me for walks along the old stretch between the LIE and Cunningham park.  When we moved out to Bethpage I spent my youth playing on Dead Mans curve not realizing the significance.  Now I have two children of my own and we take early Sunday walks along sections still remaining of the old road, Especially my little guy who looks for the fragements of the old asphalt during these walks.  I am a board member of the Porsche club of America and currently live in Bethpage not far from the road.

Please keep me informed of when you need help what I can do to help. I interact with the motor pky every day as my office is right by the old schoolhouse foot bridge off of Maxess Rd. in Melville.”

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

From Dan Templeton , Secretary, New York Military Vehicle Club:

“I’ve just seen your webpage, regarding the old Motor Parkway Bridge in Old Bethpage Village, and I’d like to offer some help from the New York Military Vehicle Club. If possible, a date in June would be preferable, as May weekends are already booked on our Calendar. Please let me know if we can be of any help.”

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

Howard, With respect to the Motor Parkway plates issued to William K Vanderbilt Jr., records at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport indicate plates bearing #100 were first issued to him in 1924. Between 1924 and 1927 he would order four plates with that # every year. Starting in 1928 and at least through 1933 he would order eleven #100 plates every year. In 1935 even Vanderbilt was feeling the effects of the Depression as as he scaled back his order to just ten plates that year. Only two #100 plates are known to exist, both issued in 1937. One is at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and the other in private hands. By the way, #200 was issued to his attorney, Henry B. Anderson, #300 to Vanderbilt’s brother Harold and #400 to Vanderbilt’s daughter, Muriel. As to the #1 plate, I’m surprised that more examples haven’t surfaced. Between 1922 and 1937 approximately sixty #1 plates were issued to Grier.

From Archives: Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates

From Sam Berliner III:
“I knew the OBVR bridge was in a bad way but hadn’t realized how severely deteriorated it had become since I last saw it”

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

From JD:

“That aerial view is terrific.”

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

From Wendy:

“cool aerial shot. also liked that pix of the bull hotel on northern & glen cove rd.”

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

From Ron L.
“Great stuff Howard. Keep’em coming!”

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

I know the L.I.Model A Ford club has been involved in cleaning up the bridge site in the past.  I look forward to being able to help restoring this site.
Roger Price

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

Hi Howard,
Awesome pics of an awesomely restored ALCO. It looks much heavier than 4000lbs and at $104k, I guess it was obtainable for only a few. They don’t make them like they used to. Thanks for sharing. Also nice job by Joey on the facebook aerial shots of the LIMP western terminal. 😊

From In Search of Alcos: #8 1911 40-HP Alco Toy Tonneau Touring Car on Long Island

I also lived on Motor Parkway, the last block before the mansion it was renamed Lake Drive in the early 30’s,  My house was about 200 feet from the mansion and on rainy days I spent many hours in the mansion.  We had natural gas heat thanks to the pipe line that was installed when the restaurant opened, all the homes had access to the gas line under the motor parkway.  Heilman had a small real estate office sitting all by itself on Rosedale avenue and Marion Drive on a litle island at the fork in the road. I don’t get out there much anymore, but just as well, I didn’t care for the many changes.

From Insight Into Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates

Nice aerial shots. It’s amazing how much the place has changed that keeps me analyzing ‘em. Howard, are there any aerial pics in the New Hyde Park area of the elusive LIMP bridge that crossed the NSP and NHP Road which was approx .75 mile east of the Lake Success double bridges? Thanks again for the interesting pics.

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

Without the efforts of fine gentleman like Howard and Al to “sound the call” to the County and officials at the Park this bridge would still be in disrepair and debris would be piled up and around it by uncaring people and groups. If you care about the L.I. Motor Parkway and long island history you need to voice your opinion to every political and elected official you can and make it known that this is important to preserve. You just know they will all show up to smile for photos when the project is done.

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

Great pic Howard - my house is there somewhere a bit east of Roosevelt Raceway.  I do want to make a correction - the close-up of the bridge in East Meadow is actually over Newbridge Ave (today’s Salisbury Park Drive), not Newbridge Road.  Newbridge Road is further east, past the Wantagh Parkway that is shown running across the top of the main pic.  Looking at a 1939 Atlas, I see Newbridge Ave. running south through Salisbury Park and crossing Hempstead Turnpike. Interestingly, a 1950 Atlas shows it named Bellmore Westbury Road and ending where it meets the Motor Parkway (i.e., not continuing through the Park).  I know Newbridge Avenue extended south of Hempstead Turnpike through East Meadow, but probably around 20 years ago it was renamed East Meadow Avenue, to ease the confusion between it and Newbridge Road.  Hope this makes sense.

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939