Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hey Everyone this is Rikki M. and I’ve written many articles about this controversial topic for The Garden City News—GCNews.com—thank you’s to Howard, Bill Bellmer and Cyril Smith, THERE IS something you all can do to urge the Village of Garden City to use the concrete posts as Howard has noted. Please send us LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (free from anything inappropriate) and we will use them in the paper. Letters get directed to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / We are in print every Friday since 1923, sent all around Garden City.

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

I recommend that a proposal to restore the historical concrete sign posts on the northern side of the new parking lot in the Village of Garden City.  These sign posts should be reinstalled on the former Motor Parkway, now in the present parking lot area.  The Motor Parkway is a very important part of Queens, and Long Island history.

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

As a long-time Mineola resident (but currently a left coaster) full marks for your efforts to preserve the Parkway. I sincerely hope your efforts to mark the route get rewarded. Is it okay if I say, “Keep me posted?”

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

Great plan to highlight the Motor Parkway RoW again. Garden City has a unique opportunity here for a practical greenway with historic significance. This unused section can extend to an almost 1/3 mile nature-walk under canopied trees, if the east side of the parking lot is included. It would resemble the RoW in Queens that is cherished by all who encounter it. I have an original LIMP concrete post to donate, and it’s in excellent condition.

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

Roosevelt Field is no longer sacred to me. They also took out my favorite store. The only one I ever went to in there.

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

Even though the cost of entering a car would’ve been paid by the manufacturer, $500 was a high price back then!

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 5 - A Proposed 2 Day 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race on LI

This is an excellent plan! Can’t imagine the Village of Garden City having an issue with this. Posts that remain through out LIMP ROW are a constant reminder of the past,  especially when the roadway is not apparent.

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

Two thoughts. First, posts and wire is a great idea (assuming they’re not vandalized right off the bat).  Secondly, we had the stretch from Clinton in “polished”; if it’s overgrown now, we have no one else to blame.  Keep up the good fight, LIMPers!  Sam, III

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

Certainly a logical proposal to restore the historic significance of this section of the Motor Parkway.  I also will donate a few posts and pieces of roadway if needed (albeit from the Levittown section).

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

I think that’s an incredible idea to recreate the posts and wire! Extremely generous of you and Al!  It’s the least Garden City could do considering they didn’t keep their end of the bargain to preserve the parkway.

From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot

correction - i see guns on the plane and we are a block north of the polo fields so ill say its 1918 and i take back the polo field comment

From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway

Looking east from over Roosevelt Field we see the Merrick Ave Bridge, the keyhole entrance and the Salisbury Golf Links on the left. its definitely late teens or 1920s before the Meadowbrook Polo Field or its bridge. Maybe the plane was an airmail or flight instructor plane and the nearby road was the shortcut to the Meadowbrook lodge (now merchant concourse).

From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway

East Garden City/Westbury looking east. Motor Pkwy, Merrick Ave bridge, and Meadow Brook lodge at the intersection at top right, the starting point for the 1908 - 10 Vanderbilt Cup Races. Salisbury Links (today’s Eisenhower Park’s Red course at the top left. Year of photo is 1923 - 1936, when concrete posts were first introduced in 1923, and pre construction of Roosevelt Raceway in 1936. Special road is the smooth-curved dirt road linking Motor Parkway to Ellison Av during the 1908 VCR, and linking Old Country Rd during the 1909, 10 VCR. Planes are heading north from Mitchel Field during a fly-by. The gunner at the nose has nerves of steel! Tons of concrete posts everywhere in this fantastic foto.

From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway

I had added a photo of the Curtiss Bomber at Michell which may be the same plane, although the resolution on the mystery photo can’t let confirm with the registration number. The give away to the location was the ‘M’ on top of the hangar

From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway

Speaking of “duh” - that was dumb - I should have posted the image for all.  Here ‘tis.  Sam, III

From Automobile Quarterly: The Mighty Alco- A History by Beverly Rae Kimes

Al P. - Aha!  No link; never occurred to me to right click.  Bingo!  Excellent comparison.  Thanks.  [Of course, trying to get the full images ended up fruitless; they aren’t full - well, duh!]  Sam, III

From Automobile Quarterly: The Mighty Alco- A History by Beverly Rae Kimes

This Queens photo sure stirred up a lot of info and discussion!

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

-Identify the location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer.

The plane is flying due North and the camera is pointing towards the East. Below, the keyhole entrance of the Meadow Brook lodge can be seen at Whaleneck/Merrick and the LIMP

-Relate the Mystery Foto to the Long Island Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races

The the LIMP is seen below and this section was utilized during the 1908-1910 races.

-Identify the airplane and it relationship to Long Island.

Curtiss B-2 Condor introduced in 1929, in service through 1934, of which only 13 were built. Curtiss/Wright had a large presence here on L.I.

-Identify the golf course.

Salisbury Links

-What is the year of the Mystery Foto? Provide a rationale.

1929 when the Curtiss B-2 was introduced

-Kudos question: Identify a special road seen in the Mystery Foto.

The temporary road for the 1908-1910 Cup Races

From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway

Howard, The bridge over Commonwealth Blvd. shown in the photo dated 1942 is not the one built by the Motor Parkway in 1912. The bridge in the photo was built in 1931/1932. ( See correspondence between Borough President of Queens and the Parkway dated May 5, 1932)

From Documentation of the 1942 Demolition of a Queens Motor Parkway Bridge

Gene, according to the blog, the Commonwealth Blvd. Motor Parkway bridge was build in 1912.

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/long_island_motor_parkway_bridge_series_10_commonwealth_boulevard_bridge_in#

From Documentation of the 1942 Demolition of a Queens Motor Parkway Bridge