Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Dominic - As far as we know, the final location of the kiosk building was located at today’s Bonwitt Inn ( now under new ownership with a different name ) You’ll see the screenshot of a blog here below. You’ll find this blog and other info of the 4 locations of Brentwood Lodge during the parkways history, by using the   Search   that I pointed on the screenshot. Interesting stuff   :  )

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #17 The Brentwood Lodge at Commack Spur Road

Hi, I was just curious what was the exact location of the toll booth Commack Road in Vanderbilt Parkway was it the old Bonwit inn? Ty

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #17 The Brentwood Lodge at Commack Spur Road

In George’s comment above with the closeup pictures, the top pic is now 711 Stewart Ave. I had tried in the past to research the history of the building and found one NY Times article that said, “In World War II, the structure was a Grumman factory for building Navy fighter planes.” I haven’t been able to find anything else.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension

The photo was taken outside the entrance to Harrah’s Automobile Collection in Reno, Nevada. The owner was Bill Harrah. The two men are Boyd Ames (left) and John Titchenal (right) who were master upholstery technicians for Harrah’s. Since the Black Beast was in that collection from 1975 to 1988, the date must be within that range. It looks like the two men were showing off their work so I’ll guess the date to be early on in Harrah’s ownership, maybe 1975 or 1976.

From Mystery Friday Foto #3 Solved: The Alco Black Beast at Harrah's Automobile Collection in 1975

Great timing Howard. To get that close without waiting for hours is pretty rare.
I’m sure you forgot about the Mets score until later in the day!

From Memorable Moments: August 21, 1997, Paris, France- Blessed by Pope John Paul II in the Popemobile

Frank-
If you notice on the hand drawn map, they make mention of the telephone/power poles which was a lot of the danger on the outside of a turn.

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

Agreed Greg. This intersection in 1906 through present-day remains at 90 degrees. I suspect the ‘dangerous curve’ was due to turning left onto a narrower roadway from a wider, higher speed 25A.

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

Great photos. Although much easier today, I assume that even then you followed the principle of “never go anywhere without a camera”.

From Memorable Moments: August 21, 1997, Paris, France- Blessed by Pope John Paul II in the Popemobile

Frank-
I can completely understand what you see, but try to envision the darker part of the dirt road in the immediate foreground as 25A going left to right.

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

Great find Greg, everything seems to match! I’m puzzled though how 25A appears to dead-end at a T intersection in both photos below. As we all know 25A was an original contiguous roadway in early Long Island. I wish the photographer had pointed just slightly more north to expose the continuous roadway. Nice work!

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

And he did make pottery.
https://morsemuseum.org/on-exhibit/rare-and-remarkableart-pottery-of-louis-comfort-tiffany/

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

The stables to the estate are on Tiffany Rd in Oyster Bay Cove and have been a private residence for a long time. They were restored by an architect,  then sold. Here’s the listing.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/39-Tiffany-Rd-Oyster-Bay-Cove-NY-11771/31160315_zpid/

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

Thanks Art! Wouldn’t have figured it out without you!

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

Fantastic job, Greg!

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

Telephone station Manhasset Hill 1906

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

Great Job.  Loved this post.

From Greg O's Garage: New Discovery- The actual 1906 location of the Spinney Hill grandstands

The actual location of the Spinney Hill grandstand was on the south west side of Lakeville Road after making the turn form North Hempstead Turnpike. https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/greg_os_garage_the_location_of_the_spinney_hill_grandstands_in_manhasset

Howard Kroplick

From The Spinney Hill Grandstand for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I went to the burial site of Remsen at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury L.I. NY. If you can see the bottom gravestone there’s Vernon 1907-1968 the son of flag men James?? the son Vernon who gave Peter Helck those flags in 1966. now in picture to the right his wife Margaret 1907-1979, and their son Allen 1940-1975.
On the flag on the right a plaque E. Norwich Vol. Fire House, thought it was for Allen? So, went to the E Norwich firehouse and spoke with the Secretary of the firehouse who had the records of who had volunteered. It was not Allen but Vernon in Apr. 1924 when he was about 17, he gave me a list of 9 Remsen who had volunteered mostly in the early years, but no James. Could not find any burial information for James anywhere in my online research. There was a John E. Remsen who joined the new fire department in 1912 and became Fire Chief in 1923, but he was born in 1897,10 yrs. old in 1907. That’s it, End of the road for me!

From Greg O's Garage: Maggie Helck discovers two 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race flags

A prestine section of Long Island Motor Pkwy in Williston Park looking east, located just east of Willis Av. The descent ramp of the former Willis Av parkway bridge ended where the three-foot extensions begin today. This section terminates at the Roger Fay Williston Park Pool and has existed for 115 years since 1908. It is 820 ft (0.16mi) in length.

On May 18, 2003, the Village of Williston Park honored the Motor Parkway with an historical marker on the east side of Willis Avenue. Attendees included Mr. and Mrs. Bob Valentine and Sam Berliner III.

From Mystery Friday Foto #2 Solved: A surviving section of the Motor Parkway off Willis Avenue in Williston Park

I’m pretty sure this is the section just east of Willis Ave that leads to a town pool and then the train tracks.

From Mystery Friday Foto #2 Solved: A surviving section of the Motor Parkway off Willis Avenue in Williston Park