Vanderbilt Cup Races

Ahhh! It just occurred to me that the small illuminating keychain cast metal Tucker ornament that was not a completely accurate reproduction of the Tucker Automobile came from that same Budd Casting Company. At one of your gatherings I showed it to either Sean or Mike. The absence of the third headlight quickly eliminated it as being a Tucker but the rest of the body was close to design spec. We did originally purchase it at the Bruce Museum gift shop in Greenwich Ct. The museum is only a few miles from New Canon Ct. The item was labeled as a Tucker so I suspect the Budd group had other molds that including the one of the keychain item that were modified after the collapse of the Tucker organization to keep them productive and sellable without crossing any patent or copyright restrictions. Factory owners with dies and molds are very protective of their ownership of their designs.

From Tucker’s Promotional Desk Set Origin Discovered!

Great adventure story about the Tucker Desk Sets highlighted by a possible bear trophy to put on the wall of the shop in Roslyn! I hope that Budd Casting is not near Wavney Park where the car shows used to be before the pandemic.

From Tucker’s Promotional Desk Set Origin Discovered!

Hazelhurst Field #1 would become Roosevelt Field amd Hazelhurst Field #2 adjacent to Camp Mills would become Mitchel Field. 

What area today would Field #3 be in?  Looks like it was in the vicinity of Uniondale (aka, East Hempstead’).

From Cradle of Aviation Archives: The 1918 Curtiss Engineering Corporation Flying Map of Long Island

Photo is oriented towards the South.  In the foreground is the Northern State Parkway, running East to West. left to right.  Nearby is Glen Cove Road heading South towards Garden City.

Construction area is the soon to be interchange of Meadowbrook (one word) Parkway with the Northern State.  Adjacent to the Meadowbrook is where the Mall occupies the former Roosevelt Field flying field. 

In the distance in the top left corner of the photo are runways at Mitchel Field.  The LILCO ‘Gas Heats Best’ tower can be seen nearby right behind Stewart Avenue and immediately North of the Base. 

Construction on the Meadowbrook commenced in December, 1954 and was opened in mid 1956.  Photo is likely from 1955 or thereabouts. 

The remnant of the LIMP is immediately South of the Mall along the Ring Road and immediately North of Stewart Avenue.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

Think WPIX was Channel 11. Interesting to hear his voice,seemed to have an accent somewhat.

From Film of the Week: Henry Austin Clark, Jr Being Interviewed on Automotive Technology in 1968

The photographer is looking south over Carle Place and Mineola towards Garden City. Major roads are Northern State Parkway, Glen Cove Road, Westbury Avenue, Old Country Road and Stewart Avenue (near the striped tank). Construction sites are the Meadowbrook Parkway extension and Roosevelt Field Shopping Center. Aviation areas are Roosevelt / Hazelhurst Field, Mitchel Field and the Curtiss Factory. In addition to Roosevelt Field, the other shopping area is E. J. Korvette’s on Westbury Avenue. Since Korvette’s appears to have a full parking field and it opened in 1954 and the ground breaking for the Meadowbrook Parkway was in December, 1953 and its construction is still in its early stages, I believe the date is 1954. The link to the L.I.M.P is you can still see the right-of-way on the right side of the photo heading south under Old Country Road to where it crossed over Clinton Road before heading east behind Roosevelt Field Mall.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

-The location and orientation of the photographer
-The major roads and construction sites

Looking South at the construction of the Meadowbrook Parkway. In the foreground is the interchange for the Northern State to the Meadowbrook.

-Areas related to aviation

Michell Field in the distance

-Shopping centers

Roosevelt Field Mall

-The year of the Mystery Foto. Provide a rationale.

Parkway construction started in December 1953. Roosevelt Field Mall groundbreaking was in April 1955. The Parkway opened in October 1956. Both construction projects look well underway. My guess on the year is late 1955.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

The photographer is looking south, high above the interchange from Northern State Parkway to the under construction Meadowbrook extension.

The major roads are NSP and MBP, Glen Cove / Clinton Road is prominent going away from the photographer. The LIRR main line and Old Country Road cross left to right.

Areas related to aviation are Roosevelt Field after it’s conversion from air to a shopping mall. Mitchel Field is there top left.

The year of the foto is shortly before ‘56, as the MSP extension was completed in that year.

The ROW of the LIMP, marked by the line of trees, snakes along the right edge till it curves left over Clinton Road and merges with the Mall ring road.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

I grew up around the corner from this and spend many a summer day riding our bikes there.

For many many years the property owners on either side would expand their backyards into the ROW. Some even set their pools there. All was reclaimed a while back, perhaps in the 90’s.

From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated

The location is the Carle Place/Roosevelt Field area, with the photographer looking south. Northern State Pkwy. in the foreground. Jericho Turnpike on the lower right. The vertical road in the middle of the Foto is Glen Cove Road/Clinton Road. To the left of Glen Cove Road is the Meadowbrook Pkwy. (under construction). Horizontally in the middle of the Foto is the main line of the LIRR. Above that, Old Country Road, and above that, Roosevelt Field shopping center (under construction), and beyond that, Mitchel Field.

I’m dating the Foto at 1955, because both the Meadowbrook Pkwy. extension north of the Southern State Pkwy. and the Roosevelt Field shopping center were under construction at the time. Also, Mitchel Field was still in use until 1961.

The remnants of the Motor Parkway can be seen as a dark curved line on the right of the Foto. It continues up, then curves to the left as it crosses Clinton Road and goes between Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

Looking south.  The unfinished Meadowbrook is coming alive as an exit off the Northern State Pkwy.  You can see a peak of Jericho Tpke, Roosevelt Field, Carle Place streets, and even the LIMP too.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

The “Belmont Race Track Field”  is just west of my house which has Belmont Park on two sides as a neighbor. The Field mentioned is now the north parking lot that has the LIRR tracks along its north edge. The circle with the + sign in it ( to the right of Queens Village station) is the location of the Bellerose train station ( Nassau County) . The north parking lot before it was paved was a grass field with hurdles in it back in the 1950s as it had been since the track was opened in 1907. ( a large section of that grass field that was part of the track was given to the local school district in 1953 for a playground) There are many 3 story white oak trees that are 150+ years old in the track next to my house located in the Village of Floral Park . A very very quiet neighborhood in the west end of the village ( my family settled here in1924) that has some eccentric fellow as the village historian for decades who drives around in a 1930 Packard touring car or if he wants to be more modern a 1940 Buick 4 door convertible. The Mayor and the trustees of the village put up with him.

From Cradle of Aviation Archives: The 1918 Curtiss Engineering Corporation Flying Map of Long Island

A pure guess: this is viewing south at the construction of the Meadowbrook Parkway. Northern State Parkway horizontally at the bottom. Roosevelt Field was being converted into a mall at this time, which means it’s well after the LIMP was closed down. Mitchel Field runways in the background at the top. Glen Cove Road north to south, west of the Meadowbrook. I’m sure other commenters will do better.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

Northern State Parkway, looking South at the Meadowbrook Parkway being constructed, with Mitchell Field in the background.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction

Great find Art! Amazing research findings!

From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway

Both the 1932 and 1942 photos show a clean peaceful country view.

From Mystery Foto #44B Solved: A 1942 Photo of the Little Neck Parkway Motor Parkway Bridge

Back at the site today for a quick look before it started raining.  From what I could see the huge slabs of roadway have been removed.

From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated

I agree with Brian on this piece Art. It’s probably from a utility installation from the early days of Levittown. Those roadway pieces are huge!

From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated

Think this was originally more rounded. With the eye in the middle, it looks very much like my cesspool covers.

From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated

An Oct., 1908 article from The New-York Tribune mentioning the special road between Westbury and the Meadowbrook Lodge.

From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway