Vanderbilt Cup Races

Looking north on Lakeville road with the motor parkway entrance on the right and the iron fence of Vanderbilt’s Lake Success home on the left. Interesting note there are still pieces of this fence still on the ground where they fell when removed.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

Great work, Greg!  Makes you wonder what else is out there just waiting for us to find. 

Otto and his family is listed in the 1940 census as living on Post Avenue.  Otto (age 45) is listed as a painter and decorator and his daughter, Doris (Bill’s mom, age 18) is shown as Assistant Manager, Dry Cleaning.  The value of the lodge is listed as $5,000.  Take note of the entries after the McCamish listing - those for families living at the Meadow Brook Club.

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Wow!  My favorite lodge of all of them!  How I wish it was still standing when I grew up within walking distance of the lodge at Mitchel Field in the ‘60’s. 

BTW, there were two separate POW camps on the Base during WWII.  Both were located in the southeastern portion of the property, immediately adjacent to the Meadow Brook Golf Club to the East and Hempstead Turnpike to the South. 

POW’s were well treated and often assigned work details by the AAF, sometimes off the Base proper!  A few of them eventually returned after the War and settled in the area. 

As kids riding our bikes along Perimeter Road, the formally electrified, barbed-wire fence bordering the golf course was still there.  Now you know why it had been electrified!

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Just as a point of clarification, the Polo Field seen in these photos is the one North of Stewart Ave. and was an auxiliary field, not to be confused with the main Polo Field immediately adjacent to Mitchel Field (literally just a few yards away from the flight line!).

From Aerial Views of Roosevelt Raceway After 1937

Great find and connection, Greg! This must be Bill Cruikshank that I know of from LILCO. We’re different generation, I began working for the company in 1987. When I became part of the Electric Service Dept in early 1990’s, I believe Bill was a supervisor in the same department, different location. He’d remember I as “the mechanic” in Hicksville. What a neat surprising connection with the LIMP, Bill! Very glad You and Greg discovered each other!

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Lodge keeper Otto McCamish is tall and slim in the photos. Could this be Otto in the photo below?

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

WOW!!! Fantastic collection of photos and information! The left arrow says “New York” and right arrow says “Ronkonkoma”. Check out Bill’s mother Doris’ 1929 snow sled. What a ride that must’ve been speeding down the graded entrance ramp! Looking forward to seeing more. Thanks Greg, and Bill Cruickshank for sharing these photos and history of your family and the lodge.

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Looks like a 1940 Packard

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Mystery Foto #16… The automobile in the Mystery Foto is a 1911 Franklin Model D Torpedo Phaeton. The Franklin company made engines that were used in modified form in the Tucker 1044. And like this Franklin car the Tucker car was originally called a Torpedo.
Photo likely taken 1911 or 1912.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

Mayhap this is a good place to contrast the 1936 (what a nightmare!) and 1937 course maps.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: An Aerial of Roosevelt Raceway and Westbury Circa 1937-1939

Not to mention $7 parking behind the clubhouse, Tom.  Thanks, Howard - O forgot about the midgets.  Odd, that course map shows Whaleneck “AVENUE”; I always thought it was “Road” and Merrick was “Avenue”.  Too lazy to check all my many maps.  Anyone?  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: An Aerial of Roosevelt Raceway and Westbury Circa 1937-1939

Infield parking $2.00, a little pricey, $5.00 reserved!

From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: An Aerial of Roosevelt Raceway and Westbury Circa 1937-1939

Great Neck Lodge entrance

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

Almost certain Lakeville Rd, Lake Success, looking north at the uphill left curve. Willie K’s Deepdale Estate main entrance (Lake Rd) intersecting at the curve (map link below). Looks like a 1914 Franklin model M. Lakeville Rd bridge built 2 years earlier just behind the photographer. Curious to know if the iron fence ran the entire perimeter of the huge estate.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f&ll=40.76242863058968,-73.70533662474782&z=17

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

Hmmmm.  Not so easy this one is. 
I say it is NOT Rosyln, Meadowbrook or Mineola, no bend in road.
I say it is NOT Garden City or Bethpage,  we would see the bridge.
I say it is NOT Huntington, we would see the trolly tracks. 
It looks nothing like Massapequa. 

I am going with Great Neck.  Looking north on Lakeville Rd.  The bridge would be just behind the person with the camera.

-joe o

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

-Identify the location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer. Provide a rationale. Hint: Amazing “Then & Now”  images will be posted on Monday night.
Looking North up Lakeville Road in Great Neck/Lake Success at the entrance to the GN lodge
-If possible, relate this location to the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
A few connections. Lakeville Rd part of the 1905 course. Willie K’s Deepdale is to the left.  Down the road and on the left is the location of Maple Cottage, HQ for the Locomobile team in 1905 and 1906.
-Identify the automobile and relate it to Tucker 1044.
Guessing a Renault by the engine cover. Relation may have to do with recent sale of the Renault Vanderbilt Race car, but all just guesses without research.
-When was the Mystery Foto likely taken?
Another guess here, but maybe sometime around 1910

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

Franklin

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914

What really hit me (again) as truly amazing is that the Grey Wolf was a successful racing phenom. only 18 years after Karl Benz came up with his Patent Motorwagen, only 15 years after Klara Benz “borrowed” it for the first road trip, and only ONE year after the first Mercedes hit the road and Ransom E. Olds set up the first gasoline auto production line!  We get so involved in the VCR and the LIMP that we sometimes forget to step back and get some perspective.  The old race films are indeed exciting but look carefully into the emerging technology of the day, as described in detail by Jay Leno, just for example, and it is simply incredible!  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Documenting the Town of North Hempstead’s approval for the western terminus of the Parkway to be across from Wiilie K.‘s Deepdale estate.  The ACA Club Journal of July 10, 1909.

From An Amazing Aerial of Deepdale Estate and the Marcus Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Lake Success

Great info Sam! She’s out there somewhere, rebuilt from her original parts! Amazing this Packard still lives today

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race