Vanderbilt Cup Races

Photos of the toll lodges can be found at:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/saturday_december_19_2009

From The 20 Toll Collection Structures of the Long Island Motor Parkway-Updated 3/17/2018

Interesting that he was born on L. I.  I always just assumed that he was French! Thanks for the history lesson!  Regards,  Walter

From Driver Profile: George Heath- The First Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner

I loved the photos !!  Amazing how you were able to attain them. If and when I come across any I will forward them to you

From The Bridges of the Vanderbilt Cup Races (1908-1910)

Link not working for this one:

the drivers went over the Massapequa-Hicksville Road Bridge (#10). Note the Massapequa Lodge to the right of Old 16 , the eventual winner of the 1908 race.

From The Bridges of the Vanderbilt Cup Races (1908-1910)

Again - fantastic.  I know the Levittown area well and just an hour ago was driving over the same general spots as the racers (Carmen Ave., Merrick Ave., Newbridge Rd., etc.) I often imagine being in one of those great old vehicles, however I know there were no speed traps in those days.
Thanks.

From The Bridges of the Vanderbilt Cup Races (1908-1910)

Howard,  Bill’s found another site that’s going to definitely take up some valuable time to investigate.  Thanks Bill!!!  I found my house (actually the farmland in Levittown that was there before my house) in one of the Levittown photos. 

Thanks again and happy holidays to all.

From Favorite Website: The Fairchild Collection of the NY State Archives-Queens

Joby:

Good suggestions!

Howard

From Opportunity to Provide Input on the Motor Parkway Trail

Hi Neal:

Great to meet you last night at Southold.

The Motor Parkway never “crossed” Cross Island Boulevard since this road was built after the parkway was closed in 1938.

Cross Island Boulevard was built just to the left of the Motor Parkway as seen in the above first photo. This street would later be renamed Francis Lewis Boulevard to avoid confusion with the Cross Island Parkway. The current bridge over Francis Lewis Boulevard was added in the 1940s to connect the bike path.

Enjoy,

Howard

From The Planned Fresh Meadows Motor Parkway Western Terminus in 1912

The most interesting pictures and copy of that exciting era of
Motor racing, delightful.

From Louis Chevrolet and the Vanderbilt Cup Races- Part II

Dear Howard : The posting about the HHB extension is very interesting . Did the Motor Parkway go over (via bridge) Cross Island Blvd. or did it intersect with CIB at ground level in the 1928-1938 time period ? From the 1938 aerial, it looks like CIB dead ends at the Motor Parkway, just after the MP curves to the east . This is curious to me because I believe CIB continued southward from Union Turnpike and was used by motorists as a route to the Rockaways in 1920s-1930s . Thanks, Neal Baker

From The Planned Fresh Meadows Motor Parkway Western Terminus in 1912

Hi Joe:

Here is a link to the photos:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/tuesday_december_8_2009_the_bridges_of_the_vanderbilt_cup_races

Howard

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rare View of a Vanderbilt Cup Race in Bethpage

Terrific, Howard! Looking forward to seeing all the survey maps. I have several documents about this alternate 73rd Ave. ending, which I will send you by email. I was never sure if it was a) planned but never built, or b) built and used while the HHB extension was being constructed, and then abandoned. Also, perhaps the rights of way for the HHB extension had not been completely acquired yet. Does anyone know for sure what happened?

From The Planned Fresh Meadows Motor Parkway Western Terminus in 1912

Hi Joe:

Thanks for the comment.

I have the 16 bridges of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race as follows (listed from west to east):

1. Merrick Avenue (LIMP above bridge)
2. Newbridge Avenue (LIMP above bridge)
3. Stewart Avenue (LIMP below bridge)
4. Carman Avenue (LIMP below bridge)
5. Westbury Avenue (LIMP above bridge)
6. Newbridge Road (LIMP above bridge)
7. Jerusalem Avenue (LIMP under bridge)
8. Bloomingdale farmway (LIMP under bridge)
9. Wantagh Avenue (LIMP above bridge)
10. Massapequa-Hicksville Road (LIMP above bridge)
11. Jerusalem Road (Stewart Avenue) (LIMP above bridge)
12. Central Avue/LIRR (LIMP above bridge)
13. Nibbe farmway (Limp under bridge)
14. Powell Avenue (LIMP under bridge)
15. Plainview Road (LIMP under bridge)
16. Botto farmway (LIMP under bridge)

I will photos of these bridges sometime this month.

Howard

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rare View of a Vanderbilt Cup Race in Bethpage

Great stuff Howard, especially the landowners.

From The Planned Fresh Meadows Motor Parkway Western Terminus in 1912

Dear Howard: The aerial is from just after 1936, when PS 162 opened, which is at 53rd Ave and 201 St. My house at 199 St. and 51st Ave. had not yet been built. Francis Lewis Blvd. ends at Horace Harding. I moved in in 1953. There were still many vacant lots and undeveloped commercial properties. Thank you for the shot.

From The Planned Fresh Meadows Motor Parkway Western Terminus in 1912

Kenny: “Very cool! I lived just N or the Bethpage Turn and just S of the RR tracks so I’m very familiar with that corner of Hicksville Road and Hempstead Turnpike. “

From Film "The 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course"

Dear Howard,

Looking at the 1908 Map, can you identify the roads the LIMP crossed.  Here is my stab at it?

Starting from West to East along LIMP:
Merrick Ave
Unknown
Stewart Ave
Old Westbury Rd
Newbridge Rd
Jerusalem Ave
Bloomingdale Rd
Wantagh Ave
Hicksville Rd
Stewart Ave
Central Ave LIRR
Powell Ave (Not Shown)
Plainview Rd
Botto Farmway Bridge
Unknown
Unknown

Thanks for all your wonderful work,
Joe O

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rare View of a Vanderbilt Cup Race in Bethpage

More photos of your beautiful wife please.

From In Search of Alcos: #1 Alco-6 Black Beast Racer Archives

Hey Guys I am currently putting together a petition to allow the Motor Parkway Greenway in Queens further east (over Winchester to Little Neck Parkway), so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t partial to the Great Neck section. However, if people in Levittown are least opposed to the building of the trail, then obviously they should get the first chance. That being said, I believe people are referring to the section between Pintail Lane and Bloomingdale Road is that of sufficient length for the “proof of concept”? If however we are talking about the portion along Salisbury Park Drive through the “grandstands” and if you could somehow link the grandstands section with the section from Universe Drive to Bethpage bikeway that would be a really strong proposal I believe Once the master plan is assembled, we should organize a letter writing campaign to get every congressman on Long Island from Coney Island to Shelter Island to appropriate funds for the full build out.

From Opportunity to Provide Input on the Motor Parkway Trail

Art and Walter:

Thanks so much for the feddback!

Howard

From A Central Park/Bethpage Postcard from a Motor Parkway Worker