Vanderbilt Cup Races

Greg, Great Post!  Love being able to hear about, and more importantly see all the details documenting the construction and alteration of this historic vehicle, especially those hidden away from a spectator’s normal view.

From Greg O's Garage: The Holman Moody Falcon Challenger III's extensive body modifications

Amazing details Al!

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Glenn, The building you labeled # 13 was actually the Laboratory Furniture building opening May 1951. At that time Renwal occupied the building south of the Mason Au Magenheimer plant today occupied by Macy’s. Renwal would later occupy the building on the east side of Laboratory Furniture. Prior to the construction of Laboratory Furniture, Dade Brothers, the owners of the property, tried to open a Drive-In Theater on that site The Town turned them down.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

I read in a couple places that the 1004 Tucker was on display at the Petty Museum in NC, and they had no idea it was once a NASCAR racer.

From Profile Series: Tucker 1004- The Only Tucker to Race in NASCAR

• The location and orientation of the photographer
Mineola, over west Westbury Ave, looking south east
• The major roads
Old Country Road & Stewart Ave going L to R, Clinton Ave, Merrick Rd
LIRR Main line and also Stewart Extension
• The airfields
Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field
• The major commercial buildings
Several hangers from Mitchel. Links to Bob Emery maps of the LIRR sidings below
• Housing developments
AFAIK the housing by Stewart Ave was all for Mitchel Field
• Link to Murray the K
Murray the K’s World was in one of the hangers along OCR.
• The major sporting and historic events that occurred within this area
Vanderbilt Cup and later Roosevelt Field harness raceway
• Links to the Long Island Motor Parkway
Oh that old thing? Yeah, prominently middle bottom where it bridges over the LIRR main line. Also seen along the top below & parallel to Stewart Ave.
• Links to the Vanderbilt Cup Race
Right where the harness track is
• The date of the Mystery Foto. Provide a rationale.
Between ’40 (when harness raceway opened) and ‘56 when the Meadowbrook parkway came thru
Raceway: 40 parkway:50-56

“Bob Emery (1925-1995) was an LIRR Conductor and Historian who hand-drew an amazing collection of track maps of the LIRR in the 1950’s and 1960’s.”
http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/mineola/EmeryMapsMineolaHempstead/Emery_Mineola_MP19-20_5-1958.jpg
http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrtrackmaps/Garden-City-Secondary-1966.jpg
http://lirrhistory.com/emerymaps.htm

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Have a Happy Fourth!

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Roosevelt and Mitchel fields. looking southeast. Old Country Road, LIMP, stewart ave, merrick ave all in photo.  Central RR and LIRR also in photo.  The Roosevelt and mitchel hangars are visible.  So are some factories on stewart ave. Some of the housing developments are the mitchel field housing and the Ladenburg estate.  One of the roosevelt hangars became murray the k’s world in 1966.  The 1926 pga championship was played at salisbury and lindbergh’s solo flight left from here. 
following LIMP structures in frame(some not that visible)
-Mineola LIRR bridge
-OCR bridge
-Merrick Road bridge
-Bellmore road bridge
-Stewart Ave bridge
-Meadowbrook Hunt club and roosevelt field parkway bridges over central RR are also in frame.
Motor Parkway looks closed but roosevelt field mall hasnt been built yet.  My guess in early 1950s.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

We are over Mineola / Carle Place looking southeast toward Westbury & East Garden City. Along with the LIMP R-O-W, major roads include Glen Cove Road, Clinton Road, Old Country Road, Stewart Avenue and Merrick Avenue in the distance. The airfields are Roosevelt and Mitchel Fields. I think Mitchel Gardens housing is visible. Murray The K’s World, a disco / nightclub, opened in April, 1966 in one of the Roosevelt Field hangars along Old Country Road. I believe it was the sixth one in from the left edge of the photo. Among the the many historic aviation events that took place in the area, the most famous was Lindbergh’s 1927 solo flight. Sporting events included the Messenger Stakes and 1983 American Trotting Championship at Roosevelt Raceway. Links to the LIMP include the R-O-W starting near the lower left, continuing over the LIRR, under Old Country Road and then curving east on the top of the photo. The 1908, 1909, and 1910 V. C. Races ran through the top left via the temporary road connecting Ellison Avenue to the LIMP. Since the Roosevelt Raceway harness track looks quite new, I’ll guess the date to be around 1940-1941.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

The location and orientation of the photographer:
Over Mineola/Carle Place/Garden City looking southeast

The major roads:
Glen Cove Rd becoming Clinton Rd when it crosses Old Country Rd, Long Island motor parkway bottom right crossing OCR and again in upper left running to the east . In the distance Stewart Avenue.

The airfields: Roosevelt Field and Mitchell Field in distance

The major commercial buildings: On corner of OCR and Clinton is the old candy factory ( Mason Mints, Dots) on Glen Cove Rd near LIRR is Consolidated Lithograph. South of lIRR are the buildings of Smith and Hicks farms and Laboratory Furniture

Housing developments: Mitchell Gardents, top left.

Link to Murray the K: Murray the K ran a Rock and Roll/dance club out of one of the old airplane hangars on OCR, near the Clinton Rd intersection. Called “The World”

The major sporting and historic events that occurred within this area:
Vanderbilt Cup Races, Roosevelt Raceway for motor racing and later horse races/harness racing, Polo at the Meadowbrook Polo Club, Lindbergs transatlantic flight out of Roosevelt Field

Links to the Long Island Motor Parkway: LIMP seen on bottom right and upper right of picture.You can see the Old Country bridge and LIRR bridge lower right.

Links to the Vanderbilt Cup Race: They used the tracks/roads leading in to Raceway

The date of the Mystery Foto. Provide a rationale:
Between 1941 and 1954 since Mitchell Gardens, Meadowbrook Pologrounds,  are still intact and there is no evidence of the Meadowbrook pkwy or the house I grew up in( Avalon Rd, just west of Clinton)-which were built in 1955

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Picture taken just over Carle Place/Mineola towns line going a little south east. Around early 1950’s[1949-1952]
1.Glen Cove Rd. 2.Old Country Rd. 3.Murry The K’S 3B-Space Land 3C-Joe Cranes Parachutes 4.Roosevelt Raceway horse racing trotters 5.Cherry Lane 6.Mason Mints 7.Clinton AVE. 8.Roosevelt Air Field or Hempstead Plains Aerodrome 9.Mitchel Air Force Base 10.Coal Bins 11.Stewart Ave. 12.Parade Grounds 13.Renewal Plastics 14.Motor Parkway 15. L.I.R.R.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Rare photo showing Motor Parkway and Roosevelt Airfield ramps in the same frame.

Mineola/Carle Place/Garden City/Westbury looking SE.
Motor Pkwy, LIRR, Old Country Rd, Clinton Rd, Guinea Woods Rd, Merrick Av in the distance.
Roosevelt Airfield in center, Mitchel Airfield at upper right.
Col. Lindbergh’s Hangar 16 (1927), Murray the K’s hangar further east adjacent to Old Country Rd where WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker frequented, Roosevelt Harness Raceway Grandstand, and more….
Mitchel Gardens built in 1941, former Camp Mills 1918, Barracks and Mess Hall of Hazelhurst Field.
Future Roosevelt Shopping Center construction 1955.
R-34 Derigible landing 1918, 1908-10, 36, 37, 60 Vanderbilt Cup Races, Lindberghs solo flight to Paris 1927, Meadow Brook Hunt Club and Polo Grounds.
Mineola LIRR pkwy bridge, Old Country Rd hwy bridge, Meadow Brook Hunt Club hwy bridge, Roosevelt Field hwy bridge, Meadow Brook lodge, Merrick Av pkwy bridge, Bellmore Rd pkwy bridge, Stewart Av hwy bridge.
Date is 1950-1955, between removal of Old Country Rd hwy bridge 1950s, and before construction of Roosevelt Field Shopping Center 1955 and Roosevelt Field hangar demolitions of 1956.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Looking south the picture is Roosevelt Field with the plane hangers upper left. Old Country Rd runs across the photo in front of the airport and Glen Cove Rd runs north and south. The village of Carle Place can be seen north of 6 hangers .One those hangers became Astro Land and radio host Murray the K,S club. Roosevelt Raceway is in the upper left host of a couple of Vanderbilt Cup races. The Vanderbilt Motor Parkway crosses Old County Rd in the photo on the right and crosses again on Glen Cove Rd top of photo behind Roosevelt Field . There were aerospace facilities and Mason Mint candies and printing company in the area. The year of the picture could be mid 1950’s cause Roosevelt Field shut down 1957 I think

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

The photographer is facing southeast hovering just north of the main line of the LIRR.  Old country rd runs from the upper left to the lower right and Glen Cove rd runs almost horizontally in the picture in the middle.  Roosevelt field takes up much of the upper half of this picture and Mitchel field can be seen on the upper right.  Some military housing can be seen near the top right of the photo.  Of course Charles Lindberg took off from the eastern portion of Roosevelt field here and Roosevelt Raceway is on the upper left.  The LIMP is on the upper right and runs parallel to the Central LIRR branch just north of Mitchel field.  Most of the Roosevelt field hangers still seem intact but the encroaching housing and commercial developments to the north gives a clue that airfield is probably near the end of its run.  So I’m going to date the photo from about 1946 to 1951.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

I took a closer look. I do believe that that is the LIMP in the lower right corner of the photo, passing over the LIRR and under Old Country Road. Both bridges are intact, but I don’t know when they were taken down.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Westbury/Uniondale area. The photographer is facing southeast. Airports: Mitchel Field (top right), Roosevelt Field (center). Roads: Old Country Road (upper left to lower right), Clinton/Glen Cove Road (center left to center right). Buildings: Old hangars on S. side of Old Country Road, upper left. One of these was “Murray the K World” (arguably the first disco) in 1966. I also see the polo club and the LIRR main line. LIMP ran near Clinton Road then turned E. in the Roosevelt Field area.

I would date the photo from between 1947 and 1953. I see some inexpensive Levitt-type houses in the picture, but no sign of the Meadowbrook Parkway.

This photo is loaded, but that’s all I’ve got.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

I see Roosevelt Field, the Roosevelt Racetrack.  The LIMP heading south from Mineola over the LIRR and under Old Country Rd heading into Garden City.  I see Mitchell Field.  Houses in Carle Place, polo fields, and train spurs that served businesses north and south of the main tracks.

From Mystery Friday Foto #27 Solved: An amazing 1951 aerial over Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field

Shucks, i missed the mystery train this week. Two typos on top; The 1910 VCR hosted the No.18 Black Beast on Oct 1, 1910. Always great to hear from you Ted! Happy summer to all.
Howard Kroplick: Frank, good catch. It is the 1909 Alco Black Beast running as #18 for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race.

From Mystery Friday Foto #26 Solved: The 1909 Alco Black Beast on the "Meadowbrook" Motor Parkway Bridge (Newbridge Avenue) in East Meadow in 1910

What we have here is the 1909 Alco in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Driver is Harry Grant and the Mechanician Frank Lee. Location is the exit ramp off the original Roslyn Viaduct Bridge leading to Lumber Road.

From Mystery Friday Foto #26 Solved: The 1909 Alco Black Beast on the "Meadowbrook" Motor Parkway Bridge (Newbridge Avenue) in East Meadow in 1910

Mystery Foto #26… The car is the ALCO Black Beast. The driver is Harry Grant and the mechanician is Frank Lee. The race is the Vanderbilt Cup Race held on October 1,  1910…. AND, the ALCO was the winner, again as in 1909.
The photo location…coming off the bridge over Wantagh Avenue which is in the background to the west.

From Mystery Friday Foto #26 Solved: The 1909 Alco Black Beast on the "Meadowbrook" Motor Parkway Bridge (Newbridge Avenue) in East Meadow in 1910

I never met him, but 10 years ago we somehow found our way to his museum and his amazing collection.  Though all that pales next to all the good he did as a doctor.

From Update: Sad news- The loss of a hero- Dr. Fred Simeone