Vanderbilt Cup Races

That’s Harry Grant (driving) with Frank Lee (mechanician) in the ALCO White Beast racer in Indianapolis, IN preparing for a series of 3 races held there from July 1 through July 4, 1910. Grant won both the 10 mile and 20 mile race in its class and finished 4th. in the 200 mile Cobe Trophy. Photo was probably taken around those dates or maybe June 30, 1910.

From Mystery Foto #25 Solved: Harry Grant preparing the Alco "White Beast" for the 1910 Indy Races

AT the time of the interview in the early 1950s George Robertson lived in the Village of Bellerose , next to the village of Floral Park where my family has resided since 1924. Robertson lived about a 10 minute walk from my house. Crawford Robertson , his son, lived in Garden City in an apartment house just east of the old Garden City Hotel and Crawford, Austin Clark and I frequently would meet and go out to lunch together. Hard to imagine that this was 50 years ago.

From Kleiner's Korner: "Big George" Robertson and "Fireball" Glenn Ethridge tell their story of winning the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Good question, Al - more research to do on that!

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

Art, The Daily News photo caption speaks of the new overpass   “reducing the crossing collision toll”.  ????  Any idea what the News is referring to.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

Holy Canoley Robert, these are excellent images! If you haven’t done already, would you mind directly emailing these great photos to   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  What a treasure!

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: A wonderful painting of Howard Kroplick in the Alco Black Beast by Joe Pep

The North Hempstead Turnpike Bridge is shown in this photo from The NY Daily News of August 8, 1933 which accompanies an article about the murder of railroad executive Henry F. Sanborn. 

More about the murder, which was never solved can be found here.
https://aboxofoldletters.com/2016/08/19/a-murder-in-queens/

From The Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #1 North Hempstead Turnpike Bridge in Fresh Meadows

From Art Kleiner:

And from 1933, 1934 and 1940.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

A new source I’ve found to research are the archives of The NY Daily News.  Here are some articles related to the Alley Road (Winchester Blvd.) Motor Parkway Bridge.  Starting from the Feb. 18, 1931 issue.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

From my late grandmother’s photo album—unlabelled, but probably ca. 1910, probably somewhere in the northeast USA [maybe Long Island; Vanderbilt Cup??]. Perhaps a National racer—note number on side of the tank and the rear spare tire, among other things. I’m including all the related photo images—note what appears to be airborne balloons in one general view.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: A wonderful painting of Howard Kroplick in the Alco Black Beast by Joe Pep

mystery pix—probably ca. 1910, northeast USA [Long Island?] unlabelled, from my grandmother’s albums.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: A wonderful painting of Howard Kroplick in the Alco Black Beast by Joe Pep

Amazing accurate depiction of the Black Beast by Dick Gorman! Thanks for this rare view of the racer.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: A wonderful painting of Howard Kroplick in the Alco Black Beast by Joe Pep

From Walt Gosden

Hi Howard,
Nice to read the Vanderbilt Cup Races weekly post today. Just a point of information - that Lincoln town car in the Vanderbilt museum collection is definitely not a 1931. It is a model L ( that series ended in 1930) and the Lincoln is of the 1926-28 era no later. The flat radiator shell style is a signature of the model L Lincoln since Lincoln’s were first made in the very early 1920s.  Willy K would have ordered his car through the NY Lincoln dealer , which had a number of showrooms and service centers starting in Manhattan and extending out to long island ( one of which was near you and we did a story on March 20, 2019 , Roslyn Motors- that was located across the street from the clock tower). It would be either in Manhattan or at one of the dealer locations east on long island where WKV III would have had that car serviced when needed. Dealerships located in Roslyn, Flushing, and Southampton).

Walt

From Greg O's Garage: The Vanderbilt Museum and mansion tour

Thanks for the corrections, Al.  I’ll send them to the editor!

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

Racer/owner Howard Kroplick behind the wheel of his legendary 1909 Alco-6 Locomobile racer (The Black Beast), which won the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races here on Long Island. Superb detail by the artist! I believe this painting was produced during or after the filming of “Men who built America.” Location is at intersection of I.U. Willets Rd and Guinnea Woods Rd looking west during the summer of 1910. I need to research the artist though.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: A wonderful painting of Howard Kroplick in the Alco Black Beast by Joe Pep

Great article, I get the Herald Courier and have the article. I just drove my Model A past there this past Sunday.  I have never seen the photos of the Lakeville Rd. & Jericho Tpk . turn in the races.  Living in NHP all my life, and great to see NHP in the Vanderbilt News this day and age.  Artie.

From Then & Now: New Hyde Park Turn

Art, Starting with the headline, ....Vanderbilt did not build the bridge, New York City did. plus it was built the other way round, of stone not steel,  If there was a stone bridge there in 1899 somebody else built it….. Parallel the LIRR for more than 50 miles ?  How come nobody told me about the rail line along the Commack Spur ?  ....... The bridge was not acquired in 1937, NYC already owned it…. The Parkway ROW thru Queens was not transferred to the Parks Dept. but acquired directly by Moses as the City Parks Commissioner. (he wasn’t going to let anyone else have a say in the future of Queens section of the Long Island Motor Parkway ROW.).... The Motor Parkway never had a toll lodge at Winchester Blvd. BUT… what the Parkway did have at that location….was a temporary entrance !  When the Parkway was extended west of Rocky Hill Rd. construction was from east to west. This way the Parkway was opened in the sections completed. There were at least 2 temporary entrances for east bound motorists during the construction phase, one at Winchester and the other at Commonwealth. There probably were others. What’s disappointing about this whole scenario, is that the article was copied verbatim by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Nov. 4th.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

Can’t believe everything you read, once again, Al.  Care to elaborate in your next comment to set the record straight?

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

Art, there are several errors in the Brooklyn Citizen article dated Oct. 28, 1940.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

Might it be someone with the initials “HK” driving the Black Beast. Pretty cool pic.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: A wonderful painting of Howard Kroplick in the Alco Black Beast by Joe Pep

After reading through the article, they realized this was the 2nd parkway bridge built over Winchester ( the reference to the original stone bridge built in 1889 ) We all know the original bridge wasn’t built in 1889. Feel like the removal of toll house was the bungalow type lodge with living quarters at Rocky Hill Rd. Wonder if it became a residence somewhere nearby?

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens