Vanderbilt Cup Races

Update: Frank Femenias has added a Then & Now photo.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

Update: A Kudos question has been added.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

-Identify the location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer.

Looking North from the intersection of Stewart Ave and Merrick Ave. I can just about make out ‘STEWART AVE’ vertically on the street post on the right.

-Link the Mystery Foto to the Long Island Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races .

The Meadow Brook Lodge can be seen on the left. This section was used in the 1908/09/10 Cup races. The LIMP bridge over Merrick Ave was taken down around 1940

-What was the likely purpose for the structure on the right? What is on this location today?

Unsure, looks like it could have been a restroom! Nothing there now except for the bottom edge of the Eisenhower Red golf course.

-What was the approximate date of the Foto? Provide a rationale.

Guessing, but I’d say sometime around 1950. Lodge was gone by 1955, LIMP bridge gone by 1940.

-Who was the photographer?
Joseph Burt (1886-1971) commercial photographer from Mineola,

Two interesting observations in the photo; first is a plane captured flying just above the lodge. And second, Maybe I’m seeing things, but is a house being transported down Merrick Ave far off in the distance?

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Looking north on Merrick Avenue towards Old Country Road about 1940, with Stewart
Avenue on the right leading into today’s Eisenhower Park.
On the left it looks like the Meadowbrook Lodge and the former Merrick Road bridge is gone (1940).  It looks like Felice’s Restaurant, Westbury, at the far end of Merrick Avenue and in the distant right center it looks like the steeple of St. Bridget’s church on Post Avenue.
The building on the right may have been part of the old Salisbury Links Golf Club, maybe the caddy house.  That area today is the golf course.
Photographer: Richard Panchyk ?

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

We are looking north on Merrick Avenue from the intersection with Stewart Avenue. The LIMP Meadowbrook Lodge is near the left side of the photo. The Merrick Avenue LIMP bridge had been torn down when this photo was taken but had been part of the course for the 1908, 1909, and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races. The building on the right appears to be some form of restroom / caddy shack for golfers on the Salisbury Links / Salisbury Country Club. Today that property is part of Eisenhower Park. Since the bridge has been torn down and Stewart Avenue west of Merrick Ave. is in good shape (maybe even freshly paved) yet the sign post on the northeast corner still indicates Stewart Ave. and the road on the east side of Merrick Ave. appears to be unpaved (under construction?) as part of the park loop, I’m guessing the date around 1941-1942. I think the photographer could be a Joseph Hunt of Mineola.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

What a shot!! It took a while but when I got it, it felt really good. Thanks for making my day Bill! Gotta get back to this great shot

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

When I look closer to the right, it appears that there are piles of broken concrete just about where the motor parkway should be.
-joe

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Village Historian of Garden City?  Almost had me thinking I was seeing Clinton Rd.  But this is clearly Merrick Ave looking north at Stewart Ave.  Today, this is the entrance to Eisenhower Park.  The Meadowbrook Lodge, in all it’s glory, stands to the NW of his intersection.  (By the way, the street sign says Stewart Ave.)  The photographer’s name is on the picture.  I have seen this gentleman’s name on others. 

I do not know what the structure on the right is.  Perhaps it had something do to with the golf links.  The picture is after the LIMP closed, and obviously after the bridge over Merrick Ave was destroyed. 

Wow.  It’s like jumping in a time machine.  I sincerely thank everyone who brings us these photos. 

-joe o

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

This is definitely an interesting footnote in American racing history. And unfortunately with a sad ending. The photos, though small, are interesting: who has ever seen a Bugatti with wooden wheels? I was especially interested in the first photo after the Chaplin movie. That car is clearly a Brixia-Züst (written on the radiator) and photographed in Italy (Italian registration number). What puzzles is me that the car has one detail, which is very unusual for Brixia-Züst: the curved front axle. Normally this axle is straight, though after a deep search in my archive I could find one 1908 example with a similarly curved front axle. Without holes, but the holes were clearly made for racing purposes. Based on appearance I would date the car (and thus the photo) at 1909 or 1910. It would also be nice to find out the location of the photo, which I couldn’t link directly to the Brixia-Züst factory in Brescia, Italy.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: From the Archives of Mechanician Emilio Jandelli

Brian - Eagle eyed Brian, great catch! Never noticed those two above before.

Fred -  You’ve just opened a fresh can of worms! If you’re just off this photo, I’m now wondering its origin. Could it have been yours at some point? Do you recall the boy as a childhood friend? Who was the photographer? (likely a grown up supervising the kids) I’m going to try and enhance the photo for clarity and details. I don’t know how to add color to identify the bikes but that would be a big plus.

From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Jericho Toll Lodge (Kiosk) in Mineola

Oh yeah,  Now I remember, your’e right.  I’m just to the left out of the photo.  Too bad.  But at least my bike has been made famous.  I don’t know who those people are   Fred

From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Jericho Toll Lodge (Kiosk) in Mineola

I didn’t get it completely right.  The 18 plus acres was where they started. There came a time they moved to Jamaica Ave. ( (1912) ?  The older location became a material storage yard and parking for finished wagons.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

Bob - Your neighborhood on Chaffee offers a rare and original stretch of Motor Parkway roadway nearby in the backyard of 121 Sigsbee Ave.

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/vanderbiltcupraces.com_exclusive_motor_parkway_pavement_re_discovered_in_al

Sam - Enjoy the map and use at will. It’s accessible to everyone. Supposedly it can be embedded onto a web page.as well. I’ve seen an embed code somewhere.

URL: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f&usp=sharing

On top of the left pane, click the down arrow to expose the map key.
By clicking any item on the left pane or the map reveals details, links, and photos.

The RoW line in Queens, Nassau, and western Suffolk was derived from overlaying old aerials onto Google satellite images. It’s as close as possible using the crude tools of today. Aerial photographs can vary in accuracy as well. From Dix Hills to the lake I just followed Rt 67, except where bridges, toll structures, and other interests were once located. Those areas were overlaid for accuracy as well.

Have fun!

From Updated: Then & Now: Mineola LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

The new hint provided my guess that this was manufactured by Thomas Callister’s carriage and wagon factory, Jamaica Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike, Queens Village.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

The bus was manufactured by the Callistor Bros. of Queens Village in the 1930’s.
The company was located on the north side of Hempstead Turnpike Just south of Jamaica Avenue. The company was originally called the Callistor Wagon Works founded during the 1870’s by Thomas Callistor Jr. and sat on 18 plus acres. The triangular shaped parcel was bound by the LIRR on the north, Hempstead Turnpike on the south and 217th St. on the East. The name change occurred when they switched over to manufacturing motorized vehicles. The company was unique in that they built both the chassis and body, In most cases the chassis is built by one party and another builds the body. Shortly after the bus was built the factory was completely destroyed by fire. The Callistor family chose not to rebuild but instead opened an automobile showroom right around the corner on Jamaica Avenue selling at various times Huppmobile,  Durant and Peerless automobiles.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

Mystery Foto #3… Lots of research, very little results. I’ll take a stab at it and call the bus a 1940’s Studebaker. Factory located Jamica, Queens.
The company had built Conestoga wagons and farm wagons before motor vehicles.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

l’m going to guess the bus is from the Steinway (piano) Hunter’s Point Railroad Company (Queens, late 1800s) which had connected various transportation routes in early LIC. Stumped again! Looking forward to the answers.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

Whoooie!  Where have I been all this time?  Frank’s Great-American Novel-cum-Google-Maps-link reveals a wealth of knowledge, far more than I ever knew was assembled in any one place; it’s exactly what I called for the old Panel to do and then asked that the Preservation Society do.  Hurrah!  I just spent an inordinate amount of time tracing the full RoW from HHB/199th to Ronk., mostly at hi-res.!  What is the “home” URL?  How accurate is the RoW center-line?  Where can one find the FULL key to all the legends, outlines, and symbols?  THIS I gotta post on my site, right up front!  Thanks, Frank and Al.  Sam, III

From Updated: Then & Now: Mineola LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Sam, regarding the alignment of the Parkway after crossing over the LIRR southward.  The Parkway was required to shift the roadway westward as it approached Old Country Rd. in order to align with the Parkway’s r.o.w. south of Old Country Rd. which was only 50 feet wide and immovable.  The Parkway preferred a minimum of a 100 foot wide r.o.w.  They were fortunate that the Garden City Company accommodated them at all. That area already had a sub-division laid out. The Garden city Company took 25 feet from the rear of lots backing up to each other in order to accommodate the Parkway r.o.w. thru this area. As part of the deal, the Parkway had to built the bridge abutments that we call the Mayan ruins. I believe a map of the original sub-division exists.

From Updated: Then & Now: Mineola LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Congrats to you!  I met Bill Warner at Lime Rock last year with his group 44 Triumph in the paddock.  I spoke to him about his car and racing in general.  I had no idea who he was at the time.  He was very gracious.  The Tucker looks great!

From Hold the Date: Tucker 1044 Open House on Sunday, February 24, 2019