Vanderbilt Cup Races

As a Floral Park “Queens Kid” you are on my turf here! My Mom’s side of my family all owned houses stretching from Hollis and Hollis Woods right on east to where I grew up in Floral Park on the Queens?Nassau border. All through the late 50s and into the early 60s me and my friends would bike ride to Alley Pond Park and cruise the old and abandoned Motor Parkway from the east end crest overlooking Creedmore all the way west and then north to Horace Harding near Fresh Meadows (where St Francis Prep was eventually built.)
That triangle you note was the last wooded area of Cunningham before the parkway turned north to its starting point at Horace Harding. And it is in that exact sliver of forest where we would always encounter a relatively large group of hobos set up in makeshift tents and lean-tos usually sitting around a campfire. That group of quiet but friendly men disappeared as work began on the Clearview Expressway, disrupting our bike adventures and the solace of the woods in this sliver of Cunningham.
The larger expanse of Cunningham which ran along Union was basically cut off from the beautiful homes in Hollis Woods by the Grand Central Parkway. Hollis Woods swept down the “hillside” to Hillside Ave which remains as the northern boundary to Hollis.
The pond you note had long disappeared by the time of my childhood but that section of baseball field always flooded in the rain. Cunningham had no real ponds and lakes compared to the numerous watering holes in Alley Pond Park. Interestingly, most of those Alley ponds are now gone or swampy lowlands.
Anyone looking to a massive foil to the plans of Moses need only take the Clearview to its southern end at the congested juncture of Hillside Ave where its momentum is stopped by Queens Village. It is right there that Robert Moses’ power was broken, so to speak.
On the plus side, I’m ever grateful he carved out the forested respite of Cunningham which exists and thrives to this day.

From Greg O's Garage: Robert Moses and the battle to acquire land for Cunningham Park

Interesting to see the photo with a small lake that appears to have been filled in

From Greg O's Garage: Robert Moses and the battle to acquire land for Cunningham Park

Always like the then and now pics,,,

From Mystery Friday Foto #41 Solved: The M-35 Allen-Kingston, winner of the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes

Nice work Art! Thanks for sharing. This information is buried deep and inaccessible to all

From Kleiner's Korner: The Vanderbilt Cup Race and other Speedways in New Jersey

Wonderful research!

From Kleiner's Korner: The Vanderbilt Cup Race and other Speedways in New Jersey

I think the event may have been the dinner given by the Antique Automobile Club in Philadelphia in 1951. Among the guests at the table, I think I see George Robertson, Joe Tracy, Glen Ethridge, Al Poole, Ralph DePalma, Ralph Mulford, and Montague Roberts.

From Mystery Friday Foto #42 Solved: 1949 AACA Racing Camp dinner featuring Vanderbilt Cup Race drivers

Hello,
  I have the above plate. Any interest in it?  Your prompt response is greatly appreciated.
  best regards,
  Alfred Rodia

From 1933 Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate sells for a record $4,434 on Ebay

Greg, If you ever run across any correspondence mentioning Walter Christie, I would be very interested.
Best regards,
Lee Stohr

From Greg O's Garage: Famous signatures found in the Helck Family Collection

This is a great way to elevate everyone’s awareness of the importance of the LIMP. Can’t wait for your backstage interviews? maybe a picture of Howard on the stage with the map, after the show?

From Update #3-Behind the Scenes: The Long Island Parkway planning map in David's new play starring Ralph Fiennes as Robert Moses

This is wonderful. The map is such a great centerpiece to the setting of the play and such a part of our lives as those who grew up on the sidelines of the road that defined our cherished Long Island heritage.

From Update #3-Behind the Scenes: The Long Island Parkway planning map in David's new play starring Ralph Fiennes as Robert Moses

Thanks for sharing, Howard.  Great to the see the vanderbiltcupraces.com making it to Broadway (well at least to the Hudson Yards!).

From Update #3-Behind the Scenes: The Long Island Parkway planning map in David's new play starring Ralph Fiennes as Robert Moses

Here’s an article about a 100 hp Simplex, built at a cost of $8,000 that was tested on the Long Island Motor Parkway in August of 1912.  From “The Daily Home News (NJ) ” August 5, 1912.

From Kleiner's Korner: Speed Trials on the Long Island Motor Parkway

You’re not kidding Art!
I’ve been going through it now for a year and a half, and every time I reach into a storage box, there’s always a new, undiscovered gem!

From Greg O's Garage: Famous signatures found in the Helck Family Collection

Having seen and gone through some of Peter Helck’s correspondence (believe me it would take years to go through every piece) it is truly amazing to be able to see the details he kept of his personal and business affairs.  I give much credit to Greg and others who have provided this glimpse into Peter’s life.  Thank you.

From Greg O's Garage: Famous signatures found in the Helck Family Collection

I any interest in this plate. Let me know.

From 1933 Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate sells for a record $4,434 on Ebay

I often wonder if any of the new residents living on the newly-built cul-de-sac know the historic significance of their neighborhood? The Grandstand, Official’s stand, and Crew Pits once populated this same cul-de-sac! 

Art Kleiner - The “Road to Grandstand” from Jerusalem Av, was the key to accurately position the Grandstand’s location in Levittown on today’s map.

From Mystery Friday Foto #41 Solved: The M-35 Allen-Kingston, winner of the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes

Looks like the photographer is standing somewhere in today’s Cul-de-Sac!

I’d bet the photographer was standing in between the Grandstand and the west Crew Pit, focusing NW while omitting the Official’s Stand. This is not confirmed. Photo below.

From Mystery Friday Foto #41 Solved: The M-35 Allen-Kingston, winner of the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes

That’s the M-35 Allen-Kingston Racer, driven by Hughie Hughes, in the 1908 Meadowbrook Sweepstakes. Hughes went on to win the event. The pits were on the LIMP in the Hempstead Plains, today’s Levittown. This photo was probably taken at the western end of the pits since there’s no officials stand in view across the road, maybe in the vicinity of today’s Orchid Road and Skimmer Lane.

From Mystery Friday Foto #41 Solved: The M-35 Allen-Kingston, winner of the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes

Racer: Allen-Kingston driven by Hughie Hughes in the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes in advance of the Vanderbilt Cup Race.  Finished 1st averaging 52.6 mph.
 
The location of the pits were in front of the grandstands, opposite the press box.
Photo of Hughes from Nov., 1911 as found in Wikipedia.  And the location of the pits as documented in vanderbiltcupraces.com

From Mystery Friday Foto #41 Solved: The M-35 Allen-Kingston, winner of the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes

M35 Allen-Kingston racer driven by Hughie Hughes. Finished 1st, averaging 52.6 MPH during the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes on Oct 10 1908. The photographer is standing on the ground,  just north of the Levittown grandstand seating, facing NW in 1908.
I’d bet photographer was standing by the west crew pits (there were two crew pits, east and west of the Official’s Stand ), looking northwesterly and just west of the Official’s Stand and Press Box. Photos below

Found the answers within this same comprehensive website. Nice 5-star website!  ***** Great job!

From Mystery Friday Foto #41 Solved: The M-35 Allen-Kingston, winner of the 1908 Meadow Brook Sweepstakes