Vanderbilt Cup Races

I spent a GOOD amount of time at the Sachem Public Library searching the NEWSDAY ARCHIVES ( 1950 thru 1970 -“Standalone Images” ), but no luck. Really wanted to solve this one. However you came across this image, Art; it’s an excellent photo. Maybe I was distracted by the pretty lady librarians, lol.

This photo looks to be from the 1950’s/ 1960’s. The location? Don’t know. I can picture several areas in Nassau County. I’ll check in later tonight/tomorrow. Congrats to the solvers. BDM

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Motor Parkway Remnants Between Russell Road and Pell Terrace in Garden City

Are you sure that E.H. Brown was a engineer for the parkway?  Could it be that he was a lawyer for the parkway?  The letters Esq sometimes refers to an esquire or lawyer.  Could it be possible that E.H. Brown was asking Willie K for the legal requirements and specs for bridges in reference to the New York Central and New Haven railroads?
__________________________________
From Howard Kroplick
Frank, E.H. Brown is listed as the Motor Parkway engineer on several of the Malverne treasure chest blueprints.

From Malverne Treasure #1: A Letter from William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.

The quality of the photo is poor due to the reprinting.  You can observe in the upper right hand corner a electrical high tension tower.  There are a few locations along the parkway that matches up to the photo.
Due to the location of the tower, the gentle curve of the parkway, and other characteristics I determined that this section of remnants is in Garden City. 
The location of the photo is in the rear yards of the houses on Russell Rd.  This would be between Russell Rd and Pell Terrace near Kenwood Rd.
I later went and read the article from Newsday.  The time of the photo would be slightly before the Newsday printing of the article on 10/24/58.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Motor Parkway Remnants Between Russell Road and Pell Terrace in Garden City

From what I gleaned, his engineers knew of the abandoned roadway abutments at that site, which would make it cheaper to cross the depressed LIRR (C RR of L I) at that point, rather than make a whole new crossing.

From Malverne Treasure #1: A Letter from William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.

Sorry guys, I know, I have been a little excitable today. 

I did just visit the Town of North Hempstead driveway on the LIMP old ROW.  I went to examine the fence between the old Park Ave School and LIMP.  There is no remnant there of any old fencing.  It is not exactly new fencing.  But it is all standard wood stockade fencing or chain link.

-joe

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

As another side note the this area.  My brother’s mother in law grew up living at 297 Park Avenue.  There was only one house between her home and the LIMP.  She told me as a young girl she would sleep in the upstairs bedroom.  She said the headlights from cars heading west on the LIMP would shine into her room as they came up and over the Willis Avenue LIMP bridge. 

The Park Avenue school stood until the mid to late 1970’s, and was destroyed by fire. 

When the Town expanded Albertson Park they build new baseball fields.  Although the Town of NH uses their highway yard on LIMP right of way, the actual LIMP northern edge ran up what is today the third base foul line of the little league field.

-joe

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

To answer Bob Andreocci, I am fairly certain Park Avenue was part of the Herrick’s District. 

-joe

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

I live on San Juan Ave in Albertson since 1972.  My home is just a few hundred yards west of where this bridge was proposed.  I used to know the old resident at 111 Sigsbee.  He told me he moved into that house in 1926.  (A rather large new construction home replaced this old home within the last 15 years.)  The LIMP ran just outside his back door.  He used to tell me how there was nothing but open farm fields all the way to Hillside Ave back then. 

If this is true, and his home was built by 1926, then the proposal would have to have been just east of his property.  Since his house would have already been standing.  The Nassau Co property site only lists the construction date for the current newer home.  I could not use their on-line portal to verify when the original home on the site was built. 

The previous resident at 121 Sigsbee told me he was offered a triangular piece of property, owned by Nassau County that ran on the south side of Sigsbee from his home to the corner of Dewey Ave.  The county offered it to him for $500 on or about 1961, or the time that Nassau decided to sell the LIMP right of way to home owners along Sigsbee & Schley Ave on the North, and William Street on the south side.  He did not buy the property because he was advised he would never be able to build on it.

The eventual owner land filled the property and was able to build a home at 125 Sigsbee Ave.  He basically buried over the LIMP to do so.  Eventually, in 1986, a home was built at 27 Sigsbee Ave.  Before that a couple of standard height cement LIMP posts stood on that property.  They were not anything out of the ordinary as described in the letter you posted about a 6’ barrier.

Growing up along there in the 1970’s, and playing manhunt games in the area frequently I never once recall seeing any remnants of a large fence structure.  Of course, by then, suburbia was taking over, and by no means does that mean it was not there.  I never spoke to the old timer there about any fence out behind his home.  Or if I did, I certainly do not remember.

I know my next store neighbors were a bit older than me.  They went to the Park Avenue elementary school in the early 1960’s.  Every day, they told me, they walked out behind our homes onto Schley Ave, then the LIMP, and walked up the LIMP to school.  They said it was all open back then.  Anecdotally, I was told it was not until the newer homes were built on the former LIMP right of way at the bottom of the dead end street on Schley Ave did anyone begin to fence in the LIMP property and shut it down as a regular waking path. 

In the fall of 1974 I went back behind a friends home near Sigsbee & Dewey to dig up some worms for a fishing trip.  I crawled up this small hill and began to dig.  Just a foot away was some ‘sidewalk’ grown over in the woods.  It was the first time I noticed a piece of the Parkway.  By the following summer, as I ran into more and more ruins around the neighborhood I began to seriously wonder why someone built and old sidewalk and then left it in the woods. 

I know this post was a bit long.  I hope someone reads it.  😊

-joe

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

I’m just going to take a wild guess on the location for this one: between Jericho Turnpike and Westbury Avenue in Carle Place. Judging by the short hair cuts and black hi-top sneakers on the boys, I’ll guess around 1958 for the date.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Motor Parkway Remnants Between Russell Road and Pell Terrace in Garden City

From Bob H.

Great STUFF…...CONGRATS for all this wonderful work!!!!

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

I’m a bit confused.  Did the children living north of William St, which was Albertson, going to the Park Avenue School?  I guess there was no Herricks School district yet.  very cool info though,  Thanks.  Bob A

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

Congrats Howie.
Just heard about this fron Darrell.
Enjoy this gorgeous addition to your collection.

Andy

From Tucker 1044 Receives a Big Welcome at Waterfront at Roslyn

I’m guessing Levittown, near where the grandstand stood.  Looks like a section that’s closed off with a chain link fence now.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Motor Parkway Remnants Between Russell Road and Pell Terrace in Garden City

Bill Hamlin was a great guy, lived in Ontario, Ca. was an aerospace engineer if I recall. He had a really nice 32 Franklin Airman sedan as well. We had a lot of communications via mail when he was alive. He told me if I came out for a visit he would take me for a ride in one of his Tuckers (he had two) at the Ontario Speedway where he knew the owners. Promised me a 100 mph ride and said he had his Tuckers at that speed on that raceway many times. He wanted to buy one new but couldn’t find one to buy anyplace when they went on sale so finally bought one from someone in 1952. Bill was an amazing mechanic and also owned a 1939 Graham sharknose Combination coupe that was profiled in one of the first issues of Special Interest Autos magazine (now Hemmings Classic Car) Bill also created a 1935 Franklin Olympic coupe - Franklin stopped production in 1934, but used the Reo/Hayes car of the era for everything but the engine in 1932-34 Franklin Olympic models . So Bill took a 1935 Reo Royale coupe, fitted a 1932 Franklin engine, fabricated a manifold to fit two carburetors, put in a Columbia overdrive, but left the exterior totally stock original. He said he used to take it out and kids in hot rods would pull up next to him thinking here is an old man in an old used up car. He motioned for them to race when the traffic light turned green and always blew their doors off and won the race. The combination of the dual carbs on a well reworked engine and Columbia overdrive made that one very fast car. It still exists in the upper midwest.

From Profile Series: Tucker 1002 "Goldie"

My guess is Skinner lane near Orchid road in Levittown! I think I see high electric towers on the right top corner in photo that may be the towers that cut across Newbridge road near an electric station on the west side of Newbridge! The kids look like typical Levittown kids that grew up there in the late forties early fifties! The kid climbing looks like he has either Keds or Converse sneakers on!

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Motor Parkway Remnants Between Russell Road and Pell Terrace in Garden City

No clue but been there, seen that -when or where?  I’ll hazard a wild guess (maybe not SO wild) - somewhere along the RoW N-S from E. Williston Ave. to E. Jericho Tpke, in Williston Park/Mineola.  1970/80s?  Wait one - N-S again; mayhap Garden City between Russell and Pell just south of Old Country Road.  I KNOW that spot!  This should prove verrrry interesting.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Motor Parkway Remnants Between Russell Road and Pell Terrace in Garden City

Never liked the Tucker (still don’t) but it is absolutely amazing how such a limited-production car has survived in near-entirety and with such fantastic documentation.  I’m enjoying this series in spite of myself and thank you , Howard, for your continued efforts.  Sam, III

From Profile Series: Tucker 1002 "Goldie"

Wild story!  When I lived just south of there, below Jericho Turnpike, on Marcellus in Mineola, ca. 1960-70, that area was one of my favorite bike trips.  I took Marcellus up over Hillside and then north on Collins to the RoW.  I remember when that little house was built across the RoW at 279{?} Collins and how horrified I was.  Keep ‘em comin’, Howard; thank you.  Sam, III

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

The bridge or subway would of connected Williston Park and Albertson. This section of Albertson and Williston Park is located in the Herricks school district.  Searingtown is located west of present day Searingtown Rd.

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park

Building a footbridge sounded a whole lot easier ( and less costly ) than tunneling under the roadbed. For whatever reason, neither came to be. Seems like the Captain was forced to address the letter, and already knew what the response was going to be.

Going by the sketches, the ground formation looks to be quite uneven at and around the LIMP ROW. Like the roadbed was formed to the land rather than the land being leveled out and sloped on both sides for drainage. I recall viewing a sketch of the LIMP between Clinton Rd and Old Country Rd displaying cesspools/drywells, for road drainage collection I guess. Maybe there were pools and wells in this area, too.

From Malverne Treasure #2: A Proposed Footbridge and Subway in Albertson/Williston Park