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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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We are looking at the former Meadowbrook Club, now the property of Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park. The Motor Parkway enters from the left, where we can see the keyhole entrance at the Meadowbrook Lodge. It appears that the building no longer stands. The picture is approximately 1960.
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
Photo is of what is known today as Eisenhower Park and previously Salisbury Park. In the middle of the picture on the left or West would be Stewart Avenue. On the top left of the picture you can see the practice track and stables for Roosevelt Raceway. These were next to Merrick Avenue which runs North/South. The top right of the picture shows Salisbury Park Drive in Westbury and the golf course. On the bottom center of the photo, you can also see the lake where the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre is today.
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
Eisenhower Park, area was the Salisbury Links back in the Motor Parkway days.
Merrick Avenue Toll lodge shown.
Central RR other transportation mode.
mid-1950s - homes along Salisbury Park Drives were built 1953. 1954.
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
Looks like we’re in East Meadow directly over the soon to be completed Salisbury County Park with north at the top of the photo. There appear to be remnants of the LIMP running east - west on both sides of Merrick Avenue with the Meadow Brook lodge still visible. When the LIMP was active, the park was known as the Salisbury Links or Salisbury Country Club. Today we know it as Eisenhower Park. Some defunct byways include the portion of Stewart Avenue now included in the park grounds, the former Central Branch of the LIRR, the section of the LIMP that was combined with Newbridge Avenue to form Salisbury Park Drive, and the southern portion of Newbridge Avenue (north of Hempstead Tpke.) that was enclosed within the park. Since it appears that the park is almost completed and it opened in 1949, I’m going with that as a date.
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
Howard, the top photo is the epitome of the Motor Pkwy. I doubt the photographer even knew at the time.
From Ham Plans for the Upcoming 110th Anniversary of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Last image is the best!
From Take a Test Ride In the Alco Black Beast
Howard very interesting article. If you have time, please post an update on the progress with your car. I can’t imagine how exciting it must be getting a car ready for Pebble Beach. I’d also love to participate in a car show or event honoring the 110th anniversary of the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
From Automobile Magazine: Saving Preston's Tucker
Parkway remains, from left to right. a small section west of Merrick Ave. with the entrance to the Meadowbrook lodge and the lodge itself clearly visible. On the east side of Merrick Ave. a short section of the Parkway is missing. The Parkway starts up again at just below the tee box of the 17th hole of the Red course running to the green near today’s Salisbury Park Dr. The Parkway can be seen once more in the bed of today’s Salisbury Park Dr. which the County opened in 1955. At the time the Parkway was built the area was known as the Sailsbury Plains or simply Salisbury.; today it is part of East Meadow. Roadways that have disappeared since the photo was taken include that section of Stewart Ave. between Merrick Ave. and Salisbury Park Dr. Also gone is the LIRR r.o.w between Endo Blvd. in Garden City East and Carmen Ave. in East Meadow, The tracks were taken up in 1952. The LIRR r.o.w. is still identifiable by the transmission lines that separate the white and blue golf courses of the Park. Also missing is the road the Motor Parkway went over before going under Stewart Avenue, Newbridge Ave. At one time it ran southward from Old Country Rd. thru the center of the Park from Salisbury Park Dr. to Hempstead Tpke. The Hempstead Tpke. entrance to the Park is in the bed of Newbridge Ave. The north-south portion of Salisbury Park Dr. was previously Newbridge Ave. I date the photo around 1958, there is traffic on Salisbury Park Dr. but the clubhouse complex in the Park has not been built yet.
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
Hold on/at the beach in Lake Ronkonkoma where the parkway ended?
From Ham Plans for the Upcoming 110th Anniversary of the Long Island Motor Parkway
A sunny day and a speedster. Doesn’t get much better, Howard! =: ]
From Take a Test Ride In the Alco Black Beast
Eagles Nest
Centerport.
From Ham Plans for the Upcoming 110th Anniversary of the Long Island Motor Parkway
I bet a few drivers and pedestrians thought they entered the Twilight Zone! What was the total distance you drove from start to finish?
______________________________
Howard Kroplick
I believe we did about 4 miles.
From Take a Test Ride In the Alco Black Beast
Great drive! I wonder what the guys at Mavis Discount Tire thought as the Alco sped by???
From Take a Test Ride In the Alco Black Beast
Excellent idea, and I agree with Steve Lucas that the SW parking lot of the Roosevelt Field shopping center would or could be a great location. This is the weekend just before the huge annual antique car flea market and car show in Hershey , Pa. (flea market there open tuesday) so you may get some car owners preparing for that trip and event.
From Ham Plans for the Upcoming 110th Anniversary of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Eisenhower Park is the location.
The roadway and remnants of it still visible through the park and West of Merrick Ave, along with the Meadowbrook entrance spur and the Meadowbrook Lodge.
The park was originally called Nassau County Park, and the course was operated by the Salisbury Golf Club. It’s name changed to Eisenhower Park in 1969.
There are 3 other roadways I see that are also defunct, along with their surroundings mostly changed since then. They are all to the West of Merrick Avenue in this photo.
The photo was taken sometime between the mid 1940’s and mid 1950’s. This conclusion is reached by noting that the Merrick Ave bridge was torn down in the early 1940’s, and the lodge was torn down before 1955. As the photo shows, the lodge is still there, but the bridge is not.
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
LIMP is running east-west, crossing Merrick Avenue in East Meadow, just south of the golf course. The Meadowbrook lodge is visible just west of Merrick Avenue.
I am not certain if the merrick Avenue bridge is still there.
The area in the center, with the golf course, was Salisbury Country club, then Salisbury Park in the 1940s then renamed Eisenhower Park in 1969.
I believe a now defunct transporation by way was the Central LIRR line to the south, running east-west.
I don’t think I see the Merrick ave bridge so I will guess the picture was taken in 1940s
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
Sounds neat Art. Making contact with descendants of Vanderbilt Cup races would be rewarding, even in Europe. Newsday location is an excellent idea, also the parkway strip by the Great Neck lodge (the original terminus). Visitors here can also enjoy a slow drive back in time. Sorry, no HAM experience here.
From Ham Plans for the Upcoming 110th Anniversary of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Most of the center of the photo was the Salisbury Golf Club, later Salisbury / Eisenhower Park.
Remnants of the original alignment of the LIMP, Stewart Avenue and the Central RR of LI are visible as they cross Merrick Ave. through the park. Also seen are the Salisbury Plains RR station as well as the Meadowbrook Club.
Just north of Stewart Ave. and to the west of Merrick ave. was the entrance and toll booth to the LIMP.
Immediately to the north of Stewart Ave. is Mitchel Manor, site of the recycling plant today.
In the top left of the main photo are the stables for Roosevelt Raceway.
At the bottom left of the main photo are the surviving grandstands and support buildings for the Polo Grounds, immediately adjacent to the USAF property at Mitchel Field.
Top right on the main photo are the homes in the Salisbury section of East Meadow.
The man-made lake at the park can be seen across Merrick Ave. from the greens at the Meadowbrook Club.
The home lived in by Alexander Stewart’s sister now used by Nassau County Parks is just to the north of the lake.
Post WWII, probably early-mid ‘50’s judging by the sweeping roadway through the park present after the County decided to make it a public park.
From Mystery Sunday Foto #25 Solved: A 1954 Aerial View of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow
Count me in !
Perhaps we can do a “Historic Run” stopping at important sites along the LIMP, maybe with radio stations at these points such as Deadman’s Curve, The Old Courthouse Bridge, The Maxxus Road abutment, Battle Row, etc.
We could then run out on CR 67 to Lake Ronkonkoma.
From Ham Plans for the Upcoming 110th Anniversary of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Great idea, Art. Hope all the moving pieces can be put together. Another possible site could be the south-west parking lot of Roosevelt Field Mall; not too far from an existing section of the LIMP.
From Ham Plans for the Upcoming 110th Anniversary of the Long Island Motor Parkway
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