Vanderbilt Cup Races

Special thanks to Zachary Hudson who beat me to the punch.  I had asked him if he could verify the name of the ‘Mystery Road’ - and he did!  I had planned on adding a detailed update confirming the name of the ‘Mystery Road’ as Ohio Avenue.

Since Zachary located confirmation from the map at the National Archives at the University of Maryland (my alma mater after NCC), to prove a point, I took a hand -held GPS unit with me on my last trip to Long Island, carefully noting the exact coordinates of all major roads still in existence throughout Mitchel Field.

In every instance, the coordinates lined up perfectly with those roads indicated on the map above.  Most fascinating to me was to see how Ohio Avenue parallelled both Miller and Davis Avenues and bisected the spot on Hospital Road where the Hospital would later be built, a building I worked in the basement of at 90.3 WHPC.

But most fascinating of all was following the course of Ohio Avenue Eastward across what would one day become the Parade Grounds, ultimately going right down where the front sidewalk would one day be of the Commanding Officer’s Quarters at 363 Rice Circle, the very house I grew up in when my father was President of NCC in 1965- 1979, then dead-ended at East Avenue on the border of the Polo Grounds.

From Update #2: In Search of the Mystery Camp Mills "New York" Road

I can’t believe that I missed that Birdcage when I was there! And I sure knew what they looked like having been to Sebring a few months earlier. I did take a few photos. Having cut my teeth on Lime Rock and Thompson, the track sort of left me cold.

From InstaGRAM Report: Unseen racing photos from the 1960 Vanderbilt Cup at Roosevelt Raceway

As always, great stuff Art. The article about the construction of the Ronkonkoma Library. That building on Hawkins Ave has been The Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society, which I’ll visit again soon. Today’s location of the library is off of Holbrook Rd, Lake Ronkonkoma {Sachem Library}

I’ll look into the Oak St location in Patchogue

From Kleiner's Korner: Two Family Members Building the Motor Parkway

Art, Great article.  With regard to Wheeler and Morrissey, neither appear in the Parkway payroll records of that time frame. Note in that newspaper article they are listed as working “on” the Parkway, not “for” the Parkway. Not related, but did notice for the first time an unusual job description that the Parkway employed a “poster boy” named H. J. Wales at a unidentified R.R. Crossing for which he was paid four dollars for a two week period. Guessing he distributed flyers on the Parkway and the Petit Trianon.

From Kleiner's Korner: Two Family Members Building the Motor Parkway

1910 Garden City Bridge

From Mystery Friday Foto #62 Solved: The Jericho Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge

For those of you wondering, the name of that East-West road that once ran through the middle of Mitchel Field was called Ohio Avenue. Attached is a utility map I scanned at National Archives. It has all of the road names as well as building functions used prior to reconstruction.

From Update #2: In Search of the Mystery Camp Mills "New York" Road

I initially thought it was Jericho Turnpike in Mineola/Carle Place facing north; I was familiar w/the area because my law office was near Sup/Nassau for many years. But on second thought, I realized that I must be wrong because the Parkway right of way was underneath Jericho Tpke. So, I gave up. I look forward to reading in next week’s issue to learn where this was.

From Mystery Friday Foto #62 Solved: The Jericho Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge

Old Courthouse bridge looking west 1908????

From Mystery Friday Foto #62 Solved: The Jericho Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge

Thanks for the additional info. Gary!  4 eyes are always better than 2!

From Kleiner's Korner: Two Family Members Building the Motor Parkway

A simple question, just took a bit of looking thru the Google Map on the Home Page.

The location of the bridge:
  The highway bridge under Jericho Turnpike in Mineola.

The orientation of the photographer:
  Looking north

The year the bridge was built:
  1910

From Mystery Friday Foto #62 Solved: The Jericho Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge

I was able to find a little bit more on Samuel L. Wheeler.  The June 1900 U.S. Census listed him as living in Patchogue, age 44, with his wife and 8 children (4 sons & 4 daughters), and working as a Day Laborer.  On May 17, 1910 he was listed as living at #46 Potter Ave., Patchogue, age 54, married 32 years, and as a Laborer, Gen. Work.  In the 1915 NYS Census he was still at #46 Potter Ave, age 59, and listed as a Farmer.  He was born February 1856, and died in 1922, being buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Patchogue.

From Kleiner's Korner: Two Family Members Building the Motor Parkway

Hi,is there a way to copy the documentary to dvd or usb flash drive?

From Video of the Week:Mall City- Roosevelt Field Mall in 1983

We are looking north on the LIMP as it passes under Jericho Turnpike in Mineola. I believe it was built in 1909.

From Mystery Friday Foto #62 Solved: The Jericho Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge

That looks like Mineola to me.  Just south of Jericho Tpke, looking north.

From Mystery Friday Foto #62 Solved: The Jericho Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge

Not all of the Motor Parkway ROW in Nassau County was deeded to the County. Moses made sure that the N.Y. State Parks Commision got at least three sections. Two were located around the Motor Parkway bridges over Northern State Parkway at Lakeville Rd, and New Hyde Park Rd, and the part of the Motor Parkway thru Bethpage State Park. Believe there are at least two other parcels Moses acquired.

From Mystery Foto #61 Solved: Willie K deeds the Motor Parkway to the people of Long Island

Art, There was an undeveloped Farmingdale Park with substantial acreage east of Rte 110 bound with the Motor Parkway as the northern border, Colonial Springs Rd.on the west and Conklin Ave. on the southeast. The area today is part of Wheatley Heights. Maybe ?

From Kleiner's Korner: November, 1925 - A Hundred Years Ago on The Motor Parkway

Shawn, the 1908 race was called since the crowds stormed the course soon after George Robertson won the race. https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/chaos_at_the_finish_of_the_1908_vanderbilt_cup_race

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved: #4 Chadwick on the LIRR Bridge on Ellison Road in Westbury during the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Thanks Mark - I’m glad you these original articles.  Look for the December, 1925 edition in a week or two.

Al - thanks - will need to get my bearings correct in the future.

From Kleiner's Korner: November, 1925 - A Hundred Years Ago on The Motor Parkway

Amazing lost photos of Roosevelt Raceway events, Gram. Thanks for sharing these historic gems.

From InstaGRAM Report: Unseen racing photos from the 1960 Vanderbilt Cup at Roosevelt Raceway

Art, Regarding the 490 acres Farmingdale ad, that acreage did not come from the featured Benjamin Yoakum estate which was in Bethpage. The Youkum estate, some 1400 acres, was acquired by Robert Moses in the early 1930’s and is today’s Bethpage State Park.

From Kleiner's Korner: November, 1925 - A Hundred Years Ago on The Motor Parkway