Vanderbilt Cup Races

Currently on eBay. Real or fake? Seeing rust is orange on back makes me strongly believe it’s a fake.

From Fraud Alert Update: Guide to Identifying Authentic Versus Reproduced Long Island Motor Parkway and Roosevelt Field Porcelain Plates

Always fascinating to me is having the “Second” largest private residents in the United States right here on Long Island.  It’s Oheka Castle in Woodbury, built by Otto Kahn and finished in 1919.  A few things I remember hearing: it had a tunnel built to give Guests arriving at the Woodbury train station, a covered passage from the station all the way to the house.  And the property was dug away at the rear of the original foundation, and huge doors were put in to allow animals as large as elephants and giraffes to enter the basement Menagerie.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3: The Vanderbilt (George) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Looks like it was a great event.
I’m sure Mark, Sean and Mike did an amazing presentation on Tucker History and the correct restoration of # 1044.
Thanks for the story and the Pictures, wish I was there.

From "Talk with the Tuckers" sells out at the new Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia

Additional article (“Southern Good Roads”, 1914) and information about George and Edith Vanderbilt’s contribution to the forestry movement in the US. 

From foresthistory.org
“The Pisgah is a gift from many people—some whose names are familiar but many whose names are not. Most have heard of George Vanderbilt, or his Biltmore Estate. His greatest gift, however, was not to himself but to the nation. He hired renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to design Biltmore’s grounds. Creator of New York’s Central Park and other urban green spaces, Olmsted saw in this project opportunity to give back to the nation, and through Vanderbilt a way to do so. In 1890, Vanderbilt needed a forester. America needed forestry. Olmsted advised hiring a professional forester who would demonstrate to America that one could cut trees and preserve the forest at the same time.

Vanderbilt hired Gifford Pinchot, who then crafted the first-ever sustainable forest management plan in the United States. Pinchot later gave back to the country in his own way: in 1905, he established the U.S. Forest Service, providing the nation with an institution to manage its national forests and grasslands. But before leaving Vanderbilt’s employ in 1895, Pinchot did two things: he facilitated Vanderbilt’s purchase of an additional 100,000 acres, which Vanderbilt named Pisgah Forest, and he recommended hiring German forester Carl Schenck to implement his management plan.

In 1914 George Vanderbilt’s widow, Edith, sold Pisgah Forest for a fraction of its value in part to “perpetuate” the conservation legacy of her husband, and as a “contribution” to the American people. Pisgah Forest became the nucleus of the Pisgah National Forest, the first established under the Weeks Act, and Biltmore Forest School graduate Verne Rhoades became its first supervisor, in 1916.

And if you are wondering what Pisgah means:
“1808 - First surviving reference to “Mt. Pisgah,” which derives from the Hebrew word for summit and which was the biblical mountain from which Moses first saw the promised land.” (From pisgahconservancy.org)

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3: The Vanderbilt (George) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Westbury, East Meadow - view looking northeast
LIMP, Merrick (Whaleneck) Ave., Stewart Ave., Newbridge Ave.
Salisbury Links
LIMP Merrick Ave. Bridge
CRRLI Train Trestle leading to the Meadowbrook Golf Clubhouse
Salisbury Links Clubhouse
1924

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow

#1044, was actually entered and accepted by Pebble beach BEFORE the restoration began.  They had 8 MONTHS to do the job.  Just listened to Mark Lieberman as well as Tucker Great Grandson’s Sean & Mike Tucker tell the story of Preston Tucker as well as the restoration process of #1044. The car is currently on display at the Savoy Automotive Museum in Carterville, Georgia (Metro Atlanta)  Sean and Mark were very involved with the restoration process of #1044.  Ida Automotive did the project.  It is considered the most awarded Tucker and the most accurate Tucker in existence.

From Mark Lieberman's Journey: Hunting Down the Barn-Find Tucker 1044 in 2016

Northeastern most corner of what will become Mitchel Field.  Curved, tree lined roadway is Meadow Brook Club Road which goes under the Central Railroad of LI trestle just before arriving at the Salisbury Plains station at Merrick Ave.  The Salisbury Links Clubhouse is adjacent to the train station. 

Parallel routes running West to East, left to right are from top to bottom, the LIMP, Stewart Avenue and the Central RR.  Meadow Brook Toll Lodge can be seen just to the West of Merrick Avenue along with the bridge leading over it and on to the links at Salisbury.

Out of range and to the Southwest of the photo are the Polo Grounds which border Camp Mills and later, Mitchel.

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow

The book describes the author’s trip from NYC to LI and back.

From UPDATE - Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Race in Literature and Entertainment (Part 2)

“Excuse My Dust” is another book with references to the Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Race.  Written in 1943 the author, Bellamy Partridge, details his past experiences with the automobile.

From UPDATE - Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Race in Literature and Entertainment (Part 2)

moses was kind of a dick..

From Newsday 1954 Article: "Motor Parkway 'Ghosts' Haunt Northern State"

Raymond Lowey designed what one sees, and he was an amazing designer.  Also did the very famous GG1 locomotive.  But the engineers did a great job too!

From In the Black Beast Garage: The 1963 Studebaker Avanti

Thanks Greg. 

Al - here’s a link about Shiloh and George Vanderbilt purchasing and moving it to accommodate his building of Biltmore.  Thanks for bringing that to our attention. 

https://thelaurelofasheville.com/lifestyle/heritage/historic-shiloh-communitys-roots-run-deep/

And some pics from mountainx.com.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3: The Vanderbilt (George) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Agreed, a 58 year old Studebaker, that looks Sleek, Beautiful and MODERN.
The Avanti was ahead of it time.

From In the Black Beast Garage: The 1963 Studebaker Avanti

They still look sleek and beautiful today!  And modern!

From In the Black Beast Garage: The 1963 Studebaker Avanti

We visited Biltmore in 2018 (and Fallingwater last summer). The estate, and the nearby city of Asheville, are fascinating. Asheville is loaded with art and art galleries.

It’s interesting to note that while George was not involved in running any of the Vanderbilt railroads, he had a rail line built so that materials could be brought to the Biltmore site while it was under construction. The rail line was dismantled after construction was completed.

One of the articles mentions “colored people” disposing of “small tracts” of land. The African-American neighborhood of Shiloh was located north of Biltmore. When George bought the land, he moved the entire community to south Asheville, where it remains today.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3: The Vanderbilt (George) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Art, Section 4, Paragraph 12, has been temporally suspended because of Covid. So OK to send, my sense of fairness allows me a to add another dollar toward shipping costs. Please send it same- day- delivery.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 2 - The Vanderbilt (Willie K.) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Another great post Art! Biltmore has been on my bucket list for a while now, and since I’m a huge admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater is another home on that list.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3: The Vanderbilt (George) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Hmmmm…I had a plate very similar to that one. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find it in a few months!

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 2 - The Vanderbilt (Willie K.) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Al, Section 4, Paragraph 12 of the Code states the lost item has to be returned in person.  (its in the small print, very small print)!  So let me know when I can expect you.  And are you sure you’re not the Loco person?  We can take this offline if you’ld like - don’t want others to put in claim for the plate now that its been found as well!

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 2 - The Vanderbilt (Willie K.) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina

Art, I cant believe it…. you found MY Motor Parkway plate # 52 !!!! Let me explain, #52 was first issue to Shelby Tucker. It fell of of his auto while the way to a round of golf with Moss Stang, Kaiser Frazier and Willie K. on the course behind your home. Shelby reported the loss to the local Motor Vehicle Dept. and asked to have returned to him if ever found. The North Carolina Motor Vehicle Code has a “if ever found” clause which states that if an item has been reported as lost and later found….. it must be returned to the party that reported the loss or to his heirs. I purchased the rights to the plate from Shelby’s heir, Loco Mobile. So,  please sent it to me insuring for $5000, willing to contribute a dollar toward shipping costs.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 2 - The Vanderbilt (Willie K.) Connection and the Rise of the Automobile in my New Home State - North Carolina