Vanderbilt Cup Races

1940 - Parcels 2 & 3 - ‘To be retained for drainage purposes’.  Could this be a clue as to the disappearance of the second CRRLI train trestle once located very close to the extant one which ran over Meadow Brook Club Road? 

Could improvements of drainage in the area have allowed the removal of the second trestle as standing water might not have been a concern to the same degree it had been previously?

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow

Frank Drebin, if you’re interested in the history of the Long Island Motor Parkway, consider joining as a member of the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society (LIMPPS), free of charge. There’s much left to uncover this amazing history of early Long Island.

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow

Howard, I was hoping everyone got the joke and could use the laugh. Thanks for the information because I actually didn’t know. Still not going to order it though…

Howard Kroplick: Thanks, Frank. Funny, but it is oddly believable.

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow

Fun Fact: The Salisbury Steak was named after Salisbury Park, after J.H. Salisbury’s application for a permit to sell a gravy-covered hamburger in what is now Eisenhower Park was vehemently rejected.

Howard Kroplick: Real fact: Salisbury Steak was named for Dr. James Henry Salisbury who first described it in 1888 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/salisbury-steak-civil-war-health-food-18584973/

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow

The truck is a Hudson. It says so right on the front fender. Location looks like Howard’s garage in Roslyn. My guess is it’s from ‘54 and it’s unique because it’s the only existing one and production was stopped with the Nash merger. The front end is different from the Hudson trucks made in the late ‘40s. It’s a beauty!

From Mystery Friday Foto #18 Solved: The1948 Hudson Pick-Up Truck Prototype

That’s a 1948 Hudson Prototype Pickup Truck. I could be wrong but I think the location is a certain garage on Lumber Road in Roslyn. For a little history and significance of the truck, please see the attached photo that I found while searching online.

From Mystery Friday Foto #18 Solved: The1948 Hudson Pick-Up Truck Prototype

I like the name, “Salisbury Plains”.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

1948 Hudson Motor co Pickup prototype
Lumber Rd Roslyn NY

From Mystery Friday Foto #18 Solved: The1948 Hudson Pick-Up Truck Prototype

One more observation: The right side in 1911 looks more like Deepdale with planted trees vs the left’s open land, pre WWI. I’d bet the gate followed the Lakeville Rd bridge, then tucked under and headed north along Lakeville Rd. But I have no proof.

From Mystery Friday Foto #17 Solved: The Motor Parkway under construction north of Marcus Avenue in Lake Success (Circa 1911)

Al, Brian - The top photo below (1914) shows the iron gate parallel to Lakeville Rd at the Great Neck lodge entrance ramp (190 ft north of the Lakeville Rd bridge).

I can’t figure how the 1911 mystery gate connects to the 1914 gate if the mystery is looking north.

To add even more confusion, the LIMP RoW in question is ascending when looking south, while Lakeville Rd in the same area is descending. 

Note the fire hydrant just north of the lodge’s entrance ramp. It still exists today (bottom photo below).

From Mystery Friday Foto #17 Solved: The Motor Parkway under construction north of Marcus Avenue in Lake Success (Circa 1911)

On the 1950 census map, the stretch of the Motor Parkway parallel to Gasser Road did not become Salisbury Park Drive. Instead, Salisbury Park Drive occupies that stretch of Gasser Road south to where the Parkway curved to the left. South of that curve, the road is now called Old Westbury Road. A small part of Gasser Road (renamed Bob Reed Lane) remains, intersecting with Carman Avenue at the firehouse. That part of the Parkway is now occupied by the Knolls apartments. I’d be interested in the history of land transactions on this stretch of the Parkway.

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow

Thanks for the additional input Al!

From Earth Day Weekend was celebrated with the clean-up of the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge

Frank,  Regarding you comment about the fence on the west side of the Parkway…I think that fence was put up to keep Parkway users from accessing Vanderbilt’s Deepdale estate and it most likely extended al the way to Lakeville Rd.

From Mystery Friday Foto #17 Solved: The Motor Parkway under construction north of Marcus Avenue in Lake Success (Circa 1911)

Greg, In early 1900 the Roslyn Light & Power received it’s charter from New York State. One of the incorporators was Clarence Mackay and also one of it’s first Directors.

From Earth Day Weekend was celebrated with the clean-up of the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge

Brian,  Complicating the whole scenario is that prior to the Parkway extension to the west was the photo taken of the Smith Farmway bridge with the caption. “1st bridge after Great Neck”.

From Mystery Friday Foto #17 Solved: The Motor Parkway under construction north of Marcus Avenue in Lake Success (Circa 1911)

The mystery photo is boxer Jack Johnson. Barney Oldfield raced him in 1910 although AAA refused to sanction the race of a non white driver. They were 3, 5-mile contests. Oldfield won 2.

From From the Barney Oldfield Collection: Four Classic Photos and One Mystery

Thanks Al, the inverted map as you point out clarifies where the park is.  Makes absolute sense! 

And Brian, I’m always ready to hear your answers to my questions.  Thanks.

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow

This image could be the opposite way like your saying, Frank. This one would’ve been very difficult if there was no caption at all.

From Mystery Friday Foto #17 Solved: The Motor Parkway under construction north of Marcus Avenue in Lake Success (Circa 1911)

I think the drainage area that’s shown was always a drainage/ponding because of the streams north & south of Stewart Ave. Believe the water source of the pond in Eisenhower Park are the streams. There’s also the pond nearby within the Meadowbrook Parkway that’s connected. The water flows to the south shore.

Below are 2 - 1950 maps that basically ditto Arts maps. LRV map shows the current and past roads. You can see how the curve was eased like Arts map shows. Also the home on the east side of Carman Ave is there. Census map names the property- Schneider. We know now today that’s the NC Corrections Facility.

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow

The second-last map appears to be inverted (north is at the bottom), so the Nassau County Park and parking field would be on the south side of the Parkway.

From Kleiner's Korner - Nassau County Surveys: Stewart Avenue & The Motor Parkway in Westbury and East Meadow