Vanderbilt Cup Races

The bridge is tucked way back in the southeast corner of the Restoration, away from all of the “attractions”. Everyone who I’ve ever talked to who have taken their kids/family to the Restoration has absolutely no idea what I’m talking about when I ask them about the bridge.

Of course, you really need to go and investigate the bridge yourself Frank!

From Updated: Sam & Dave's "Excellent Motor Parkway Hike" IV: Old Bethpage

Liking the “Never Was” creation. Would be a lot of fun driving through that time portal. Have a Polaroid ready to go and leave ASAP before the portal closes!

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939

Is this bridge protected? I’m assuming it is under Old Bethpage Restoration. It seems secure but don’t want anything happenig to it.

From Updated: Sam & Dave's "Excellent Motor Parkway Hike" IV: Old Bethpage

Ed L:
Great video!

From Hagerty.com: A new Tucker, true to the original, debuts at SEMA

Looking north on Willis Avenue in Williston Park/Albertsons.  The LIMP overpass is visible and behind it on the left in the distance it appears to be a construction crane which might be part of a sand mining pit which used to be there, owned by the Wheatley Hills Land Company.
The historic marker is on the right (eastern ) side of Willis Avenue under where the bridge used to be.

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939

Looks like 2 Tydol gas pumps (blurry) in the foreground. I checked Bob and Ruth’s first ever photo of the Willis Ave bridge looking North in Williston Park. A Tydol gas station does not appear across the street in the photo. Not sure of the “crane” behind the bridge. If this is Willis Ave, this is the second only photo of this bridge. 

SOLVED! The crane appears in Bob and Ruth’s first photo. Willis it is! The crane’s location should be today’s Albertson Park, and nearest LIMP historic marker is directly under the bridge on the east sidewalk across the street. I believe the Motor Parkway is the division line between Williston Park and Albertson. Thanks Bob and Ruth for another rare shot of this bridge

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939

I think the photographer was standing on the west side of Willis Avenue in Williston Park about 2 blocks south of the LIMP looking north at the bridge over Willis Avenue. The structure in the left background could be the old Albertson firehouse on Dewey Avenue. The nearest LIMP marker would be on the east side of Willis Avenue where the eastern bridge abutment had been at the entrance to the village pool.

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939

Very Nice!

Ken

From Hagerty.com: A new Tucker, true to the original, debuts at SEMA

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