Vanderbilt Cup Races

Packard #16 during the first race on Long Island, 1904

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Mystery Foto #14…The car in the Mystery Foto is the Packard Gray Wolf designed AND driven by Charles Schmidt in the 1904 Vanderbilt cup race. His mechanician was William McIldrid. Photo taken at the second turn on the course turning from Massapequa-Hicksville Road onto Hempstead Bethpage Turnpike. The car also raced at the Empire City Track in Yonkers and raced in providence Rhode island in 1903.

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

On the west side of Lakeville Road, the driveway behind the synagogue and curving around to Lakeville Road was the LIMP ROW.

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Mr. Hammond’s research is correct. The woman on the left hand side of the picture was Harriet Feitsen and she lived with her family in Flushing. Her parents, Ann and Victor Feitsen, had a pharmacy (called Feitsen’s) on Parsons Boulevard in Flushing. She was my mother

From Long Island Motor Parkway Signs Updated 2/13/2016

Great action shot captured in time of one of the earliest races on Long Island, revealing old Long Island as it was. Stumped on this hairpin turn on Long Island. Help!

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The parking lot of Green Meadows Farm is now located along the ROW.  North of GMF is the Queens County Farm Museum.

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: Glen Oaks Village Being Built Along the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in 1947

That’s the #16 Packard Model K-S “Gray Wolf”, designed and driven by Charles Schmidt during the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The mechanician was William McIllrid. The photo was taken at the “Massapequa Turn” with the driver heading south on Massapequa Road turning west onto the Hempstead-Bethpage Turnpike. The photographer would therefore be facing approximately northeast. During 1903, the Gray Wolf also raced in Detroit, Cleveland, Providence, RI and at the Empire City Track in NYC. It also set speed records in January, 1904 at Ormond Beach (Daytona) Florida in the 1 mile, 5 mile, and 1 Km distances.

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Too easy - “The Packard Gray Wolf- One of America’s First Lightweight Racers” per
09 Apr 2011 blog.  It’s all there.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I used to walk from Silver Point (Cedarhurst) to Long Beach and back (and now have skin cancer to show for it) while my folks swam it out beyond the breakers.  Lets hear it for the redoubtable Potter sisters - they showed ‘em!  “Hippomobile”, indeed (that one took me a while).  As to the Jones Beach GP, there’s NO WAY Ocean Parkway would have ever been blocked off (especially after WKV’s stunts 70 years before).  Sam, III

From Kleiner's Korner: Long Beach Gets a Race in 1906 (Or Does It?)

Your outstanding archives turned up Charles Schmidt, designer and driver of car #16 Packard GRAY WOLF in the 1904 race.

Love the interesting diversion.  Thank you and best wishes!
Vic

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The one in the photo is at a small lake in PA. The other one is at a residence in Pottsville, PA
I’d love to know the story of the dogs on the lantern. Why were they chosen and where are the other lanterns from the Estate at Sands Point? From old photos, it appears that there were many along the road leading up to the home.

From Then & Now: Alva Vanderbilt Belmont's Beacon Towers in Sands Point

Some more ads from the same publication.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part III

A few more ads placed in Automobile Topics after the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Races.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway in Advertising Part III

So Cool! Where is it now?

From Then & Now: Alva Vanderbilt Belmont's Beacon Towers in Sands Point

Here it is 80 years later!!

From Then & Now: Alva Vanderbilt Belmont's Beacon Towers in Sands Point

From Art Kleiner: 
Here’s the documentation, as least documenting the suggestion by the NYC Parks Commissioner (Robert Moses?).  Will be included in an upcoming post pertaining to the 1938 RPA update from which it is taken.

From Motor Parkway Survey Bookmap C: The Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows, Queens

In 1923 a toll booth was erected on the south side of the ROW 700 feet east of Rocky Hill Rd.

From Interactive 1924 Aerial Survey of New York City and the Motor Parkway in Queens & Lake Success

—Identify the race car, the manufacturer,  its designer, the driver and the mechanician.

Packard Gray Wolf. Driven by its designer Charles Schmidt. Mechanician: William McIllrid

—Where else did this racer compete?

Raced a bit. The last record of the Gray Wolf was a Chicago race with Jess Ellingsworth driving for E.R. Greene.

—Where was the Mystery Foto taken? What was the orientation of the photographer?

Massapequa Turn on to Hempstead Turnpike during the 1904 race

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Al V., the RPA’s “priceless chance” (see earlier comment) referred to forming a freeway from the World’s Fair to Farmingdale using the ROW and was stated in July 1937. I have same memory of one-way traffic plan, but cannot remember source, either.

From Motor Parkway Survey Bookmap C: The Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows, Queens

The chimney was on the east side of the house, as in the aerial

From Interactive 1924 Aerial Survey of New York City and the Motor Parkway in Queens & Lake Success