The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Most interesting. Maybe resin copies could be made to support future Tucker research.
From Tucker Discovery: Original Tucker Ash Tray Sets from Their Manufacturer and Their Tooling Molds
Pool at the Long Island Aviation Country Club In Levittown looking east. Right across the parkway from the grandstands and the pits for the cup races. Jerusalem Ave bridge would be just off past the hangars in the distance. Charles Lindbergh was a member and taught his wife to fly here. Early 1940’s on account of the color photograph and the aged landscape?
From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)
It is not totally unexpected, but is still a wonder how important history can be so so important when presented for a photo opportunity for elected officials or those seeking office around election time. They then become “preservationists” and recognize the ‘importance” of local history that is unique to an area. Short memories prevail ...........keep that in mind the next time that there is a rally or a campaign fund raiser - ask a question “why did you destroy/erase history?” Write letters to newspapers to alert the general public to what has happened. Garden City annually has an Easter parade of old vehicles - question why?? , when most of the time they ignore or bury history. The only justice is to make known what has been done to point out what was/wasn’t important. If you don’t then you can not regret what has been lost.
From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot
This is exciting news. I’ve bike ridden this path with kids numerous times this summer and yes, it needs work. The steep slopes (9% at times) are dangerous for inexperienced kids to travel on these bumpy roads. Glad to hear it’s being paved over
From Queens Motor Parkway Renovation Update: Oldest road in country to be as good as new
0.31 miles of Motor Parkway stretch remaining in GC, but now with a parking lot in the center interrupting flow. Likely Roosevelt Field mall development began the parkway desecration many years ago. Same happened recently in Levittown with housing, with its slightly longer 0.85 stretch. Seems these short stretches today don’t stand a chance against eminent domain, decisions that no doubt will be regretted later
From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot
Just north of LIMP in Levittown.
From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)
We are looking east at the L.I. Aviation Country Club in Hicksville at the time but now Levittown. The property shared a border with the Long Island Motor Parkway a few feet to the right of the photo. The LIMP was part of the course for the 1908, 1909 and 1910 V C Races. Among the many famous members of the club were Charles Linbergh, Leroy Grumman, Chance Vought, Walter Beech, Sherman Fairchild and Jackie Cochran. The plane is a General Aircraft G1-80 “Skyfarer” which had its maiden flight in 1940. There was a “Family Day” or “Industry Day” at the club on June 30, 1940 so I wouldn’t be surprised if the photo dates from around then.
From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)
9/25/2002 Mystery Photo Details:
The location is what Levittown is today and the photographer is standing on the east side of pool looking west(erly). The LIMP borders it on its north side. There is
tons of writings and photographs that give the complete story of its history in time
leading and up to the building of Levittown.
Best To ALL, Ron
.
From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)
Aviation Country Club swimming pool
Hicksville/ Levittown
From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)
A photo we’ve seen before! Not as a mystery photo, but as part of an answer to a mystery photo I submitted back in 2013!
https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_foto_friday_29_can_you_identify_thsi_section_of_the_motor_parkway
Long Island Aviation Club looking East. Located just off the Motor Parkway, which would be to the photographers right in the photo. Cup races grandstand location was a few hundred feet away.
As per VCR.com, https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_1940_membership_of_the_long_island_aviation_club
prominent members were;
-Vanderbilt Cup1940 Membership List of the Long Island Aviation Club
Walter Beech- who began Beechcraft Aviation - still fabulous airplanes.
Wallis C. Bird
Jacqueline Cochran- First woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic Ocean leading to the formation Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs)
Powel Crosley, Jr. - of Crosley Radio (nearly everyone’s radios in this time period were Crosley’s and he innovated radios in cars) and owner of Cincinnati Reds
Four members of the Du Pont family: Louisa Carpenter, Felix Du Pont Jr. and his wife, and Richard Du Pont. Felix and Richard were both pilots and went on to found Allegheny Airways which became U.S. Air.
Sherman Fairchild
Marshall Field III - heir to Marshall Fields, founder of “Chicago Sun” newspaper, owned Simon & Schuster Publishing for a time
Robert L. Gardiner
L. R. Grumman - founder of Grumman Aviation - terrific planes and today Northrop-Grumman
Roger Wolfe Kahn- Jazz musician and son of Otto Kahn
Col. Charles Lindbergh
William L. Mitchell- Vice-President,Design for General Motors
Henry S. Morgan - son of J.P. Morgan and founder of Morgan-Stanley
Elmer A. Sperry, Jr.- the son of inventor Elmer Sperry
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
Gar Wood - inventor and championship motorboat builder
My guess on the date is sometime around 1940.
Research to ID the plane this weekend….
From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)
Great that you kept the scrapbooks from ‘69!
From Kleiner's Korner: My Personal Tribute to Tom Seaver
Thanks, Ellen and Syd. Nice! We just need to be sure the remaining posts are not removed or damaged during construction. Who should be contacted about this?
From Queens Motor Parkway Renovation Update: Oldest road in country to be as good as new
It was simply naive to think this wasn’t going to happen. The minute I heard about this I knew this entire section of the LIMP was done. Ok so they might put up a sign, big deal. Thankfully the view looking west, from that point up to Clinton Rd abutment, will be preserved. That’s real history. Not a new parking lot with a sign of what “used to be here”. The locations that were abandoned and left undeveloped, those are the best remaining locations.
From Update: A Proposal to the Village of Garden City To Restore the Motor Parkway Concrete Posts Near Their Parking Lot
Tom Padilla, Can’t help you with that. Got my info from the Suffolk County real estate office in Riverhead and Suffolk County atlases.
From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course
Al, With the real estate transactions you detailed, do you have any further info about what firms or individual realtors handled those acquistions for Willie K? I know he was friends with S. Osgood Pell, whose real estate firm on 5th Ave was active even after Pell was killed in 1913 in an accident while crossing the LIRR tracks outside Long Beach. Any idea where I could find the real estate transaction details? Thanks!
From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course
Art, Steve, The golf course had only 6 holes, 3 of them had 2 sets of tee boxes. Museum has at least one scorecard with celebrity names on it. Fore !!!!
From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course
No *WONDER* it looked so familiar! Looking “north” to the Sound? HA! How about north-east onto Northport Harbor and Bay? For a measly 45°, I blew it! Glad you all had such a good time; I have enjoyed EN immensely over these many years. Sam, III
From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course
Frank,
Thanks for the fotos… what marked as a “Cultivating Field” just South of Edith’s Home is, in fact, Edith’s family’s property (2.4 acres), which, in 1984 was then owned by Picone Sand & Gravel with the Huntington/Babylon Town Line being but about 50 to 100 feet further South… otherwise, fotos generally as this 83 year old’s faulting memory recalls… but, if,we only had a foto/map circa 1952. And, as a point of information, at that time we could then hear (at night) Republic Aviation testing jet engines as sound carried there being only farms between.
From A 1946 View of the Broad Hollow Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge in Melville
Jim - There’s one original concrete bridge (1909, Old Courthouse Rd, Manhasset Hills) still standing and fully intact - photo below. Two more fully intact in Cunningham Park (1926, Hollis Ct Blvd and 73 Ave). Alley Park also has two left from 1911, where one is hidden with its underpass filled in.
From A 1946 View of the Broad Hollow Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge in Melville
Caption on the about fox hunt was corrected.
From Update #3:Mystery Foto #33 Solved:Spectacular 1924 Aerial of Meadow Brook Hunt Club & Motor Parkway
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