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
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
Site maintained by Hop Studios
Recent Comments
Great job George, and James you’re right about conditions that would’ve existed. Now, how to enter the tunnel. I have a flashlight!
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
Howard, about to send a photo of the ped underpass but George already nailed it. Great observation George! See above photo.
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
The photographer was over East Meadow looking east showing Levittown. The roads that were used for the Vanderbilt Cup races are: Hempstead Turnpike (1904), and some remnants of the LIMP (1908, 1909, & 1910). Since the building of the homes for Levittown has progressed significantly, and I think I can see the structures at Aviation Country Club are still intact (portions of which were moved in 1950), I’m going to guess 1950 as the year of the photo. As to other large buildings, not too sure, but I believe that’s Bethpage Park & golf course in the upper left corner.
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949
Brian,
The bridge on the Creedmoor property was a highway bridge, not a pedestrian or a farmway bridge
Al.
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
Love that Riviera!
From Highlights from the 10th Annual Hemmings Motor News Concours D'Elegance
Hard to tell for sure but the racers SEEM to have longer wheelbases than Erik’s car. Sam, III
From Did This Mitchell Racer Participate in the 1908 Nassau Sweepstakes?
George Zink….I’m don’t have an actual memory of the tunnel you know of, but I viewed photos of this location in the past on someone’s website. Sam Berliners websites came to mind, and I’ve been poking around; but haven’t came across the photos yet. The photos showed exactly what you described. BDM
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
From John F,:
Congratulations on this for all your excellent work, Howard.
From The Roslyn Times: Local historian wins award
From Suzette G.:
Great job and a well deserved honor, especially for you and all your good work, and to Supervisor Bosworth and all the members town board for their unwavering support.
From The Roslyn Times: Local historian wins award
So the proposed underpass would’ve been between Winchester Blvd and the Creedmore pedestrian overpass? I guess the N/S of the proposed underpass would’ve led one onto the Creedmore property, too?
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From Howard Kroplick
That is correct. Al Velocci believes the Creedmoor Bridge was the original highway bridge built in 1912.
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
Aerial of Levittown looking southeast about 1948.
The North Wantagh section and the “G” section off Newbridge Rd. not yet built.
LIMP visible at lower right crossing the Wantagh Pkwy. and Rte. 106 (Newbridge)
curving left then east along Orchid Road and continuing through Bethpage.
Visible at upper left is Grumman Plant 2 and the Grumman runways.
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949
Hello Howard,
If you walked along the south side of Union Turnpike going about 800 feet east from Winchester Boulevard and looked through the fence, you would find a foot high rectangular concrete structure with an iron grating preventing entrance. In the early 1980’s I was looking for a running path inside Creedmore and found this structure open. There was no grating at that time and the grafitti practitioners had found it first. I did venture into the structure which turned out to be a tunnel and I exited it on the north side of Union Turnpike a short distance inside the fence on Creedmore ground. The northern exit may still there but hidden by trees that have since grown up around it. There was construction in the area and it is possible that exit no longer exists. I will try to take some photos when I get the chance. I guessed that it was made to provide a safe path between the newer large hospital building and the Creedmore complex. Who knew?
Thanks for the very interesting newsletters.
Enjoy,
George
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
I think the mystery photo shows Levittown, 90% completed, with the exception of the removal of the L.I. Country Club Airport’s clubhouse and double hangar, where the undeveloped backwards “L” can be seen. The Wantagh Parkway is running diagonally near trhe bottom right corner, and the traffic loops are for the entrance and exit of Hempstead Turnpike. I can’t pick out any large structures other than the hangar. If I’m correct, the wide thoroughfare at the bottom and to the right of the “L” would be Orchard Road, and the barely visible skinny white line to the left of it would be all that was left of the old Vanderbilt Raceway roadway (that had become the Motor Parkway). My guess is that the photo would was taken in 1950, looking east. (I humbly bow to anyone who says I’m all wet.) I always thought that after Mr. Levitt constructed the first portion of Levittown, he bought the airport property and immediately bulldozed the clubhouse and hangar before completing construction of the streets and houses on its site, as well as developing the area to its east (top) north (left) and west (bottom). If my photo identification is correct, he left the airport structures standing until the very end of the process. A great photo! Where was it found?
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949
Is it just me or does this seem to have been one of the worst ideas EVER. Dank, dark and dirty doesn’t even begin to describe the mess that would have resulted.
From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass
Nice sign, guys! Three weeks ago I submitted my application to the Town of Hempstead Landmarks Commission for a sign to mark the location—in what is now Levittown— of the L.I. Country Club Airport. Guy Ferrara, pres. of the Valley Stream Historical Society, said it’s a long process and that I just have to sit and wait for some sort of reply. (In 2005 Guy was successful in having the Town of Hempstead erect a sign to mark the location of Curtiss Airfield and he filled me in.)
From Vanderbilt Cup Race Historical Marker Installed on Jericho Turnpike In Westbury
Levittown looking East Southeast. Hempstead Turnpike and remnants of the LIMP are seen slightly diagonal/vertical through the photo. Hempstead Turnpike used in the 1904 race and the LIMP in the 1908-1910 races. Buildings of note would be the Long Island Aviation Club still standing. Judging by lack of trees, I’d place the date around 1949.
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949
Identify the aerial’s location and orientation: My current home town, Levittown, looking east. Wantagh Parkway is on the lower right running from the photo’s right edge to the bottom edge.
Identify the roads in the aerials that were used for four Vanderbilt Cup Races:
Hempstead/Bethpage Turnpike (1904), Motor Parkway (1908, 1909, 1910)
Identify the large buildings in the aerial: Not sure if these count as large buildings nowadays, but the hanger and clubhouse of the LI Aviation Club and various shopping/village centers and pools erected by Levitt.
What year was this aerial taken? Provide a rationale. 1947-1948
1) My house would be in the photo just east of Wantagh Parkway and west of Newbridge Road, but it wasn’t built until 1954/55 and not shown in the photo. FYI - although now in Levittown my development was not part of Levitt’s land purchases - supposedly the farmers who owned the property did not want to sell to Levitt - and when it was actually built (area called Westbrook Park) it was part of East Meadow.
2) Back to the rationale - houses in the development just south of me (still east of the Wantagh Parkway) were built in 1948 but also aren’t shown.
3) Levitt bought the property of the LI Aviation Club in 1948 and demolished it in 1949, but it is still showing in the photo.
4) Homes just south of the Aviation Club were built in 1947/1948 and are shown in the photo.
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949
It looks as if additional documentation on the cars and their performance in the race may be found through the newspapers on the fulton history website at http://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html using for the search the following terms—-
“nassau sweepstakes” mitchell 1908
From Did This Mitchell Racer Participate in the 1908 Nassau Sweepstakes?
From Sharon M:
Hi Howard,
Congratulations on your recent award!!!
All the best!
From The Roslyn Times: Local historian wins award
Congratulations Howard. You are clearly the most deserving of all.
From The Roslyn Times: Local historian wins award
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