Vanderbilt Cup Races

I’d rather have manifestos dropped on me than bombs.

I’ve seen “car football” (soccer) on Top Gear, but this is the first that I’ve heard of Auto Polo.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part II

Early (1902) Auto Polo match in Boston

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part II

-Identify the seaplane, its model and owner
Willie K’s Sikorsky S-43 NC-16925, serial number 4314 that he took possession of in 1934.

-Where was the Mystery Foto taken?
-What historic events happened at this location?
Without being able to confirm with certainty after a few hours of looking, I’ll guess this was the Port Washington marine base/terminal sometime around 1937/38. Pan Am made history here not only by it’s founding, but the first passenger trans-Atlantic flights originated from here.

-Kudos question: Identify the seaplane and famous person seen with William Beutenmuller in the below Kudos Fotos
Looks like Howard Hughes walking away from a Sikorsky S-39 flying boat.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

My grandfather Walter Livingstone raced with Oldfield in the early 1900s. I found records of one race where he is listed in 1907.  He was an employee and later business partner of Henry Ford.  Has anyone ever heard of him?

From From the Barney Oldfield Collection: Four Classic Photos and One Mystery

Just as a follow up to my previous note…
The actual road was probably my current front lawn.  I’ve known the last 4 owners of the actual gatehouse and I did see remnants of the signage use to build a shed on the property.  I’m not sure if its still there.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures:#19 and #20 The Ronkonkoma Toll Gate & Ronkonkoma Lodge

My wife and I bought the house next door (to the west) of the gatehouse from Mr. Ericson in 1983.  He built the house in 1951-52.  So, he was living in this house starting then.  I met him shortly before he passed (at 88 or 89 years old and he told me that he used to collect the toll and during prohibition, his brother used to ride on a horse with a shotgun chasing the bootleggers off the road.  Mr. Ericson also worked for Grumman during the 1940’s - where I worked as well, retiring in 2019 after 40+ years.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures:#19 and #20 The Ronkonkoma Toll Gate & Ronkonkoma Lodge

Looks to me like Howard Hughes…

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

Pan Am Sikorsky S-43

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K's Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes

I’d say Rugby is safer than Auto Polo.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part II

What a great film! Wonderful gathering of cars from a less hectic era on Long Island. I never knew Old 16 was owned by Peter Helck, such an extraordinary artist.

From Images & a Trophy From the Greatest Vintage Car Event Ever Held on Long Island

I worked there washing dishes when I was in my 20’s. It was so much fun! We had to be so fast! I believe I was the first female to be ever be hired there. My dad was the head waiter, bartender, the chef!

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Links Golf Club's Private Entrance to the Long Island Motor Parkway

While out running some errands, I found myself heading home on Deer Park Ave and decided to see the location in person for a ‘then and now’ perspective.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

Brian, Re: The paving of the roadway in Suffolk County. In 1910 it was paved from Round Swamp Rd. to Bagatelle Rd. In 1912 paved from Bagatelle to Wheeler Road. In 1913 Wheeler to Rosevale Ave. All the pavement consisted of a 4 inch concrete base and a 2 inch “Bituminous Macadam”. The delay in paving was due to a combination of bad weather, money, and soil settling that had to rolled . In early 1911 the Parkway paid the Andrew Bros. Construction Co. of Mineola $1513.04 to spread 75,652 gallons of road oil on the unpaved portions of the roadway.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

This one has had me head scratching all weekend and I hate being stumped…

I’ve run out of time, so I’m just going with guess and say the ten mile post was seen traveling West from Ronkonkoma at just about where the Brentwood lodge was located. I think the curve in the mystery photo is the curve just after Harned Rd spur.

I am unsure as to the rationale for the ID # pattern.

I’m attaching another photo from ‘along the motor parkway’ series taken of the section that is now on the northern portion of Manhasset Hills showing the Old Courthouse Rd bridge.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

Image matching Bethpage Lodge above.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

*Mystery Foto Location - my best guess is a gentle curve between Candlewood Path N & Deer Park Ave.  Dix Hills.

*10 mile post - should be at the intersection of Candlewood Path N and Vanderbilt Pkwy. The distance from the Bethpage Lodge.

*Pavement in Suffolk County - I remember Al Velocci saying that most of the LIMP in Suffolk wasn’t paved or open to traffic prior to 1915? Anyway, the road was constructed with a concrete base, and then paved with asphalt.

*Postcard #‘s - There is some pattern of the numbers/distance : W/O Huntington Lodge 13527 towards W/O Commack Rd 13536 is a difference of 9 ( about 9 miles between ). Some are less precise ( but the images are great ). I’m thinking the difference between the Lake 13549 and the Inn 13543 is 6 yards ( 18 to 20 ft ). I found an identical Bethpage Lodge image as above numbered 13525. Difference of 2 with Huntington 13527 ( really about 1.7 miles between ).

It’s curious that the Mystery Image is numbered 13519, lower than the other numbers; so it should be 6 miles, yards etc into Nassau County? Wait and discover, this was a thinker : ) !

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

Looks like June 6th, 1908 was a warm, sunny day. Big crowd!

From Mystery Foto #11B Solved: The Garden City Archives: Scouting the Ground-Breaking Ceremony Location

I’m guessing the Motor Parkway Atlas was measuring in miles from the Bethpage Lodge for the newly completed section of Motor Parkway. The mile 10 curve (9.8) east of the lodge is in Dix Hills, just east of the LIMP’s last bridge over Deer Park Ave by Candlewood Path. If correct, I believe the photo below is near (west of) the mystery photo but facing in the opposite direction. 
Also noticed in the mystery photo a section of guardrail missing on the curve, the location of Parkway Br #10314 that was yet to be built. Guardrails at this time were made of wood. And the atlas east of the Bethpage Lodge was drawn in three sections, with each section ending with a “49” designation. The last postcard of the lake behind the Inn has a 49 designation as well, while the front of the Inn postcard has a 43. The postcards and the atlas seem to be connected

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/csi_report_identification_of_a_rare_photo_of_the_motor_parkway_in_suffolk_c

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A View Along the 10-Mile Curve in Dix Hills & the "View" Postcard Series

i have a one that i’ve had for about 40 years. here’s a picture. Any info on it wold be appreciated.
________________________________________________________________________
Howard Kroplick

Your porcelain plate is a parking pass for Roosevelt Field similar to my plate # 398
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/my_long_island_motor_parkway_license_plate_collection

From Updated: My Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate Collection (11/7/2025)

Wow! Great Atlas purchase and rare opportunity to preserve historical data. Thanks Howard for all your efforts. Love the Queens B map with the GCP nowhere in sight, for another 23 years! It’s a long shot but always wondered about that old monument that hasn’t been discovered yet. Tiny as they are, that would truly be a needle in the haystack search

Photo below: Bike riders in Alley Pond Park 1940, braving the 8% grade under the GCP bridge.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: The 1910 Motor Parkway Survey Bookmap