Vanderbilt Cup Races

Frank, The photo you just posted, you describe an old roadway to Mitchel Field. ...Thru the Meadow Brook Club ?

  thru the Meadow Brook Club ?

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

Mys 29 again

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

-Identify the location, major roads and sporting areas
The upper section of Eisenhower Park. ‘Whale Neck Ave’, Salisbury Park Drive. The Stewart Ave park (Park Blvd) entrance.

-Identify the residential communities
My old neighborhood of [Westbury]Salisbury on the East side of Stewart in the upper right!

Where is the Motor Parkway right-of-way?
Of the 3 ROW’s [remnants] visible, the uppermost.

-What major Motor Parkway remnant was still visible?
The keyhole driveway to the expansive McCamish estate

-What was surrounded by the array of trees in the middle of the Mystery?
Old Stewart Ave ROW

Kudos question: Identify the date of the Mystery Foto. Provide as many rationales as possible.
Judging by the state of Eisenhower and the Meadowbrook Pkwy, I’ll guess 1958ish

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

In a 1992 edition of Games by James Whitehall the estimated value of the Vanderbilt Cup Race game was $650, for the Teddy Roosevelt game value was also $650 but seemed to have gone for $900.  The latter also appeared to advertise the Cup game.

From The 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race Board Game

Lots of goodies in this Salisbury aerial with north up. Salisbury Links, then Nassau County Park (1949), and now Eisenhower Park’s (1969) Red Golf course in upper center. Roosevelt Harness Raceway in upper left. Ladenburg’s horse race track just off the photo in upper right, today it’s the East Meadow Public School District. Park Blvd is the curvy road in the center. Motor Parkway is just above it running horizontally. Meadow Brook State Pkwy in lower left, Merrick Ave diagonally on the left. Salisbury Drive diagonally on the right. Old tree-lined Stewart Ave still visible cutting horizontally through the park. Old Bellmore Road also visible cutting diagonally through the park. Mitchel Gardens Housing Complex below Roosevelt Raceway on the left. Salisbury housing community off Ladenburg Drive on upper right. LIMP’s Meadow Brook lodge entrance ramp still intact. The lodge, Merrick Ave bridge, Newbridge Ave (Bellmore Rd) bridge, and Stewart Ave bridge have all been removed. Photo date is after completion of MSP (1956), after demolition of the Meadow Brook lodge (early 1960s), and during Roosevelt Harness Racing (1966)

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

Art, Regarding you license plate identity question. It was not issued to any specific person or automobile. The M designation was issued to automobile manufacturers and dealers Depending on their needs, they would order several so they could move them from vehicle to vehicle as needed. They usually came with sequential numbering..

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - Where Will the 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race be Held?

Update: First day cover for the dedication of the New York Seaplane Airport (September 14, 1929) has been posted.

From Updated: Historic Seaplane Milestones at Manhasset Bay

I had the pleasure of seeing this car in Judge North’s garage a few years ago.  I was able to capture it again when they exhibited the Rabbit at Amelia Island in 2008 I think.

One thing I don’t see mentioned, as Judge north told me, its a 195 litre total oil loss aero motor.  I see references to an 18.8 litre motor in some of the provided info.

Another thing I don’t see mentioned, the Norths talk about being invited back to Denmark to commemorate the beach racing record the Rabbit was to have set at 122mph.  David North drove the car on that same beach, I can’t remember how what speed the Rabbit attained on that run.

From Update: Peter Helck's 1921 Benz-Mercedes "Rabbit-the-First" Now Owned by Jay Leno

Roger - thanks for your comments.  Look for a couple more related posts.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - Where Will the 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race be Held?

Another dead-easy location - Salisbury Links-cum-Eisenhower Park, after Meadowbrook Parkway (across lower left corner) was opened.  RoW of Central Branch of the LIRR runs across bottom.  LIMP RoW runs across top and curves down on to Salisbury Park Drive at upper right.  The stretch along South Street is at left.  The trace across the park is visible just above Park Blvd.  Roosevelt Raceway at upper left.  Stewart Avenue runs from middle left to Merrick Avenue (vertical) and then becomes Park Boulevard.  Garden City East at upper left; East Meadow at upper right.  Array hides a dog poop receptacle (softball field #6 there now).  Dated by long-gone housing between Stewart and Raceway (i.e.: I dunno - ca. 1940?).  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

Actually, the post WAS on the LIMP RoW where they were trying a new rubberized macadam which shrank in the sun and pulled that leg of the RoW back south!  [This story must have been left over from an April 1st blog.]  Sam, III

From The Mystery of the North Hills Country Club "Vanderbilt Pkwy" Road Sign

“Highly improved thoroughfare”?  Good grief; what was it like before?  Sam, III

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - Where Will the 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race be Held?

We are directly over the East Meadow, Westbury, Salisbury, East Garden City area with Merrick Avenue running top to bottom in the center. Other roads include Stewart Avenue, Meadowbrook Parkway, Salisbury Park Drive and Park Blvd. inside Eisenhower Park. A portion of Roosevelt Raceway can be seen in the upper left corner. The LIMP R-O-W ran left to right about one third of the way down from the top between the raceway track and Mitchel Gardens and ending on the right at Salisbury Park Drive. You can still see the unique entrance driveway from Merrick Avenue to the Meadowbrook Lodge. I think the area surrounded by tress could be the house that Joseph Lannin built for his daughter Dorothy around 1928. I believe the date should be around 1964-1965 since the last section of Mitchel Gardens came down in 1966.

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

I had no idea that New Jersey politicians wanted to allow the Vanderbilt Cup Races to be in that state.  I guess cooler heads prevailed and it didn’t happen.  I’m glad that the races continued, at least for a while, on Long Island.  Thanks for the history lesson.  We never stop learning, don’t we?
Rog

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - Where Will the 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race be Held?

Great video on Tucker #1034. Sean does a great job describing the car and the restoration work that is being done to it. He and is team a restoring a very original tucker to a more correct original Tucker. Hope I get the opportunity to see the car in person one day. Thanks for sharing the video.  Jim Ryan LIBC

From Video of the Week: A Tour of Tucker 1034

Forgot to mention year.
Must be after 1956 since that is when meadowbrook parkway was built

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

East Meadow/East Garden City
Stewart Avenue -East to West
Merrick Avenue- North to South
Park Blvd on the right
Meadowbrook Pkwy lower left
Sporting: Salisbury Links then Eisenhower Park Golf club to the right, Roosevelt Raceway upper left
Re motor parkway remnant, I think the keyhole entrance to the Meadowbrook Lodge is still visible
Motor Parkway ROW runs from just above keyhole, across Merrick avenue, thru golf course, to Stewart Avenue to the East.

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

Aerial photograph facing North over Salisbury Park.

Major roads included Meadowbrook Parkway and Merrick Ave. running top to bottom and Stewart Avenue, and remnants of the LIMP and LIRR Central line running laterally.  The railroad trestle can be seen East of the Parkway in the woods.  The Salisbury Plains RR station and the Salisbury Club can be seen West of Merrick Ave.

The original orientation of Stewart Avenue lined by the trees on either side is visible as is the key shaped entrance to the Meadow Brook Lodge to the West of Merrick Ave.  To the East of that, a portion of the route of the LIMP used then by golf carts at the Park is seen. 

Housing on the left of the photo is Mitchel Gardens.  Housing to the right of the photos is the Salisbury area of East Meadow. Immediately adjacent to Mitchel Gardens, the LIMP approached the Lodge about to cross over Merrick Ave.  The horse racing track is just above the LIMP.  Nearby was the spot Lindbergh took off, not far from the location of a portion of the Vanderbilt Cup. 

At the East end of the park can be seen the sites of the Stewart Ave. Bridge and nearby the Meadowbrook Bridge. 

Parkway indicates it’s post 1956.  Mitchel Gardens was gone by mid ‘70’s. Big silver tank at NYU building was put up in early ‘70’s.  Could be from late ‘60’s - mid ‘70’s.

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

Identify the location, major roads and sporting areas:
Salisbury (Eisenhower) Park, East Meadow/Westbury
Merrick Avenue, Park Avenue (in the park), Salisbury Park Drive, Stewart Avenue, Meadowbrook Parkway.  Roosevelt Raceway, Golf Courses,

Identify the residential communities: Mitchell Gardens on center left, Salisbury (or South Westbury as it was called then) on the upper right

Where is the Motor Parkway right-of-way?  Directly north of the curved road in the park going from west of Merrick Ave. to Salisbury Park Drive on the east (right of photo)

What major Motor Parkway remnant was still visible?  Parkway driveway (the key shape)

What was surrounded by the array of trees in the middle of the Mystery?
Central Branch of the LIRR

Kudos question: Identify the date of the Mystery Foto. Provide as many rationales as possible.  1966 - picture from historicaerieals.com and possibly layout of the golf course.  Lake (upper end shown at lower section of the photo) was not completed until after 1961. 

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

Location is Salisbury (Eisenhower) Park in East Meadow, where I spent many a day in my youth. North is at the top. Major roads: Stewart Avenue on the left, Park Blvd. across Merrick Ave. from Stewart, Meadowbrook Parkway, Salisbury Park Drive on the upper right. Sporting areas include Roosevelt Raceway on the upper left, and golf courses in the park.

Residential communities: Mitchel Gardens just north of Stewart Avenue, and the Salisbury section of East Meadow on the upper right.

LIMP is the curved part of Salisbury Park Drive. Remnant can be seen just to the left of that (north of the northernmost curve of Park Blvd.), and continuing west to where it would meet the northern edge of Mitchel Gardens.

The only ring of trees that I see are on the right, and it just looks like they surround grass. A putting green?

Date of the Foto: I can only say between 1956 and 1962, because the Meadowbrook Parkway has cars on it and it opened in 1956, and Mitchel Gardens is still there.

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW