About
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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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
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Recent Comments
Bravo Greg! Great article and super research!!!!!Thanks Howard for posting this.
From Gregg D. Merksamer: "Remembering the 1908 Briarcliff Trophy Race"
Identify the exact location of the Mystery Foto
Looking North on the West side of Willis Ave near Syracuse St.
Identify the Motor Parkway bridge
Willis Ave. parkway bridge
What is the structure on the left behind the bridge?
Unsure. Maybe something from the highway dept?
Today, where is the nearest Motor Parkway historic marker located relative to this location?
At the bridge site on the East side of Willis Ave.
From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939
Sorry Howard, the jpeg photo I sent is tough to read. A clearer view of the route is available in Google Earth. Anyone can give me a ring if interested in the kml file.
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
From Updated (11/3/17): The Course for the Long Island Automobile Club's 1902 100-Mile Endurance Test
Tricky at first ( long ) glance. Here’s my answers:
*Exact Location of Foto: W/S of Willis Ave., Williston Park. Guess what I see in front of me are fuel pumps/gas station?
*ID Bridge: Willis Ave. Parkway Bridge. The W/S abutment is visible between the utility poles, the E/S abutment is out of view. There looks to be a bridge support at the east edge of Willis Ave.
*Tall structure on left beyond bridge: After viewing a 1947 Topo map, “Robertson Gravel Pit” was north of the LIMP. Structure is likely a conveyor for gravel,etc. John D Caemmerer Park is on location today.
*Nearest LIMP Historical Marker: On LIMP ROW, e/o Willis Ave. Well preserved roadway leads to Williston Park Village Pool.
From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939
Hi Howard,
Just a quick question, it goes back to the Holbrook presentation on September 12th, is your map of the LIMP properties turned over to the state back in 1938, available for viewing in any of the Long Island Museums?
Bob DeStefani
_____________________________________________________
Howard Kroplick
I believe that I have the only known copy.
From Great Turnout to the Presentation on Ronkonkoma and the Motor Parkway in Holbrook
The location of this week’s mystery photo is the LIMP Willis Ave bridge in Williston Park. The photo was taken on the west side of Willis Ave just south of the bridge facing north looking towards Albertson..
The structure behind the bridge would be a sand crane/shovel of the Searingtown Sand Company. The sand company is where the Town of North Hempstead Highway Department, town park, and storm basin are located today.
On May 18, 2003, the Village of Williston Park placed a historical marker on the east side of Willis Ave near the old bridge location. The marker was placed by where the east bridge abutment once stood.
From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939
Willis Ave Bridge. Picture roughly from the corner of Williams Street looking north along Willis Ave. Closest historical marker is on the east side of Willis Avenue, exactly where the bridge crossed. I am guessing on the structure, but where Albertson Park is today was a sand pit and or rock quarry, so that is my guess.
-joe
From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939
WOW, what incredible finds by all. This mystery really did open up a can of worms. Art’s findings, as always, are amazing with historical facts to clarify. And the kiosk, half sawed to its size, (that I missed), another incredible find! Nice find by “eagle eye’d” Al for revealing this. I wouldn’t have got this by myself.
From Mystery Foto #43 Solved:Lou Austin's Commack Gas Station/Restaurant on the Long Island Motor Parkway
How about the Bridgehampton road races in the early 50s that stopped road racing on public roads. The law change is why they built the track out there. Is there a map showing the location of the proposed track?
From Hemmings: Ronkonkoma: the never-was speedway that could have brought Indianapolis-scale racing to LI
Howard, do you think that the photo of the woman in the station lot could be Sister Anne Pulling? It’s could be her or another sister possibly from the convent Sisters of St. Joseph from nearby Brentwood.
____________________________________________________
Howard Kroplick
Frank, it could be. Central Islip Library is pulling the Anne Pulling Collection for me. The answer may be in these archives.
From Mystery Foto #43 Solved:Lou Austin's Commack Gas Station/Restaurant on the Long Island Motor Parkway
I haven’t seen Mark’s example yet but I found a pic early on that I’d overlooked, of Louis holding an engine (Fronty Chev?) AND of all three brothers that clearly show me wrong (HORRORS!) and several that match Mark’s description. Not much question now. I’m sending the noted pix to Howard. Sam, III
From Updated (11/3/17): The Course for the Long Island Automobile Club's 1902 100-Mile Endurance Test
Sam and all, go on google search ‘Louis Chevrolet’ click ‘MORE PHOTOS’ and scroll through until you see Chevrolet wearing a cap with pointy ends mustache sitting behind of steering wheel, compare. Howard, I will send you the enlarge printout, you have the original ? 1902 photo showing him as chauffeur, and you compare and let us know.
From Updated (11/3/17): The Course for the Long Island Automobile Club's 1902 100-Mile Endurance Test
It also looks like there is a small section of the old toll lodge on the side of the building
From Mystery Foto #43 Solved:Lou Austin's Commack Gas Station/Restaurant on the Long Island Motor Parkway
I believe the Old Bethpage Bridge is in back of the Old Bethpage Village property. I was part of the cleanup committee with the Long Island Model A Ford Club a couple of years ago that cleared all the debris and overgrowth on top of the bridge. It’s still looking good. Amazing that it still exists and I hope it will continue to be preserved.
Rog
From Updated: Sam & Dave's "Excellent Motor Parkway Hike" IV: Old Bethpage
Here are my answers to the added additional question for this week’s the unique mystery Foto
1st - there’s woman standing in the lot in front of the station
2nd - the orange crush sign in front of the building?
3rd - someone standing on the 4th gas pump from the left
4th - the hidden automobile behind the “Austin’s Park Socony” sign and fence. There also appears to be a bicycle or motorcycle in front of the automobile.
From Mystery Foto #43 Solved:Lou Austin's Commack Gas Station/Restaurant on the Long Island Motor Parkway
I dunno about Louis; not with THAT brush. Every photo I can find of him (dozens) shows a consistently bushier, shorter-width mustache. Not likely to be brothers Gaston or Arthur either for the same reason. Sam, III
From Updated (11/3/17): The Course for the Long Island Automobile Club's 1902 100-Mile Endurance Test
The car is a Mors, the hood, 1902?, model ?
From Updated (11/3/17): The Course for the Long Island Automobile Club's 1902 100-Mile Endurance Test
Closest I’ve ever got to the Old Bethpage bridge was at the back gate on Sweet Hollow Rd and Claremont St. (location of the former LIMP bridge). Dripping wet from cycling during a previous downpour, I explained to the young gate attendant that I just wanted to see the bridge that was nearby (~900 feet east). She wouldn’t let me in. So I rode back home to Valley Stream dripping wet. The saga continues.
From Updated: Sam & Dave's "Excellent Motor Parkway Hike" IV: Old Bethpage
Amazing finds Howard, I wouldn’t know where to begin.
It really looks like Louis Chevrolet and A.R. Pardington in the front seats! I would bet my train collection on that assumption.
FANTASTIC Roslyn clock tower photo, as it still stands today! The house to the left (east) of the tower still stands as well, at least the east half of it. The west half was converted into a larger structure accommodating the theatre today.
The house on the right of tower still stands intact as well with some modifications over the years.
This village preserves its integrity that one can feel passing through it.
Wish more LI villages were like this.
______________________________________________________
Howard Kroplick
Frank, Great eye! A.R. Pardington is definitely the passenger. He was a member of the L.I.A.C. racing committee.
And that may be Louis Chevrolet! In 1900 Chevrolet immigrated to Montreal to ply his skills in the North American automobile industry. After a stint as a chauffeur, he moved to New York to work for de Dion. By 1902 he began working at New York Fiat importer Hollander and Tangeman and may have been hired out for the inspection of the course.
From Updated (11/3/17): The Course for the Long Island Automobile Club's 1902 100-Mile Endurance Test
I searched the “NYS Historic Newspapers” website for Lou W Austin ( embossed on sign in front). Although I bookmarked the few “interesting” articles concerning him, not so sure about submitting them here. 1926 was a rough year for him. In July 1946, he and his wife moved to Maine.
From Mystery Foto #43 Solved:Lou Austin's Commack Gas Station/Restaurant on the Long Island Motor Parkway
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