The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Hello Howard, Happy Holidays
It occurred to me ,to alert you to a Tucker Original Dealer / Magazine Ad 21 x 14 that belonged to my father David Tunick,
previous owner of your Tucker, I listed it on Ebay just tonight,
Great Shape Original middle fold,, goes with maybe his Tucker, he thought to pick up this
_________________________
Howard Kroplick
Stephen, thanks for the heads up!
From The History of the Tucker 1044 (1948-Present) Updated: 6/18/2019
No problem, I see that you had a great exploration. Catch you guys next time. I explored Bagatelle this past May. I found the posts ant the curved embankment as you guys found. It was brutal with all of the thorns and sticker bushes. It is definitely a real nice find. I will be waiting for your findings.
From Update: Pilgrim State Hospital Complex and the Motor Parkway in 1938
Should have written Lakeville, not Lake Success.
From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: Tracy and Poole Changing A Tire During the 1906 American Elimination Race
Identify the racer, driver and mechanician
#12 Locomobile, Joe Tracey, Al Poole
Identify the race and date of the photo
1906 American Elimination Race, Sat., Sept. 22, 1906
Kudos question: Where was the headquarters for this racer and its team?
Maple Cottage, Lake Success
From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: Tracy and Poole Changing A Tire During the 1906 American Elimination Race
Looks like crowd-favorite Joe Tracy, in the Locomobile (mechanician Al Poole, captured as well), both winners of the Sept 22, 1906 Second American Elimination Trial Race (297 miles throughout Nassau County back roads), getting a flat fixed at the Diamond Tire depot near the hairpin curve in Old Westbury (still exists today!). If correct, sixteen year old Eddie Rickenbacker (eventual WWI ace fighter pilot) is competing as a mechanician with race-car driver Lee Frayer in one of the Frayer-Miller race cars. Locomobile headquarters in this race was near Bull’s Head Hotel in Greenvale (by today’s Northern Blvd, Rt 25A). This intense, well documented race caught my attention here.
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/races/story/1906_american_elimination_trial
Tracy’s tire repair at the time was the fastest at a mere 4 minutes. Compared to today’s standards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHSUp7msCIE
Great mystery photo. Hoping I’m right. Waiting anxiously for the answers
Happy Holidays to all, and a safe and happy New Year!
From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: Tracy and Poole Changing A Tire During the 1906 American Elimination Race
*Auto, Driver & Mechanician: Locomobile #12, Joe Tracy, Al Poole
*Race/Date: American Elimination Trials 9/22/1906 to qualify 5 American entrants for the VCR 10/6/1906. The image captures the tire replacement at Diamond Tire Depot, Old Westbury during the first of 10 laps.
*Location of Headquarters for Auto & Team: Locomobile Headquarters for the 1905 & 1906 VCR’s was located at The Maple Cottage Residence. This house still stands between Farm La & Lakeville Rd. Great Neck NY.
As I realize now, many auto problems occurred during the races. The temporary fix for Herb Lytle’s Pope-Toledo radiator leak that started in lap 5 of this trial was creative. A farmer’s wife rushed out a bag of rolled oats to slow down the leak. We all know how THICK oatmeal is once cooked! He did finish 4th, but his auto was disqualified because of a tow in the 8th lap, oh well. Happy Holidays to All!
From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: Tracy and Poole Changing A Tire During the 1906 American Elimination Race
Very nice—thanks
Ken
From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Construction Equipment of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Short of a street map of the area between 1919 and 1927, the only real solution is to go out there with a handheld GPS unit and check the latitudinal coordinates of those streets mentioned in East Garden City as well as the corresponding streets still in existence on Mitchel Field, which I plan on doing upon my next visit to the area in August 2019!
From Update #2: In Search of the Mystery Camp Mills "New York" Road
Photo taken Sept. 22 1906 during the Vanderbilt Elimination Trials. Driver is Joe Tracy with Al Poole as riding mechanic in the Locomobile. The training camp was at Maple Cottage in Lakeville.
Happy Holidays Howard.
From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: Tracy and Poole Changing A Tire During the 1906 American Elimination Race
Mystery Foto #51… The race car is a 90hp Locomobile
driven by Joe Tracy with Al Poole as the mechanician.
This was the 1906 American Elimination Trial held on September 22, 1906.
Headquarters for Joe and the Locomobile was at Lakeville Hotel.
From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: Tracy and Poole Changing A Tire During the 1906 American Elimination Race
September 22, 1906 American Elimination Trials
Driver Joe Tracy and mechanician Al Poole
The number 12 Locomobile got a flat tire at the Westbury turn.
The team headquarters was at the “Maple Cottage” in Lke Success
Merry Christmas Howard !
From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: Tracy and Poole Changing A Tire During the 1906 American Elimination Race
Enjoying these photos….
Thanks !
From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Construction Equipment of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Further bringing into question the validity of the caption of the picture postcard of the entrance to Camp Mills from Clinton Road at New York Street, the first photo Frank posted would certainly suggest the Main Entrance may NOT have been at New York Street at all. Rather, it may have been slightly South of there at the intersection of Clinton Road and Main Street.
Logically, does it not stand to reason that the ‘Main Entrance’ would connect to a road called, ‘Main Street’? Duh! This also supports the indication in the caption that Locust Street would be at the bottom left of the photo in the picture postcard, just as it appears in the aerial photo Frank provided!
From Update #2: In Search of the Mystery Camp Mills "New York" Road
The wooden buildings seen in the general vicinity of what would become the Parade Grounds / Quad are neatly divided by the newer section of New York Street that Frank refers to.
Buildings to the North of NY St. are neatly bordered by Miller Avenue while those to the South of NY St. are just as sharply partitioned by Davis Ave., running parallel along the Flight Line.
It is not out of the realm of possibility that when Miller and Davis were constructed, NY St. may have been widened and/or repaved, consistent with Miller and Davis.
As for the discontinuity of New York Street to the West of that area, it would seem unlikely the two segments were not the same roadway at one time. They simply line up too perfectly to have been two discreet roads. The only question mark is if the Eastern portion went by a different name for which I can find no evidence.
From Update #2: In Search of the Mystery Camp Mills "New York" Road
Frank - looks just as much like the Mineola Main Line bridge or the Roslyn/Williston Oyster Bay Branch bridge - see <http://sbiii.com/limpbrdg.html#rrbridgs>. We’d have to count ribs or girders. Sam, III
From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Construction Equipment of the Long Island Motor Parkway
A few follow up thoughts:
1) Judging by the modern day map of Mitchel Field, I would have guessed New York Street would have been opposite Chestnut Street in East Garden City (which was Frank’s initial guess back in September), not Locust Street. Similarly, I would have also guessed that Main Street through Camp Mills aligned directly with Locust Street.
2) It is possible the picture postcard of the entrance to Camp Mills at New York Street and Clinton Road at the Garden City Library, the source of the reference to Locust Street to the bottom left may be incorrect.
3) Bill Bellmer’s posting of the 1918 map shows New York Street crossing Eastward beyond Ave. ‘E’ (later, Oak Street) [just to the left of the two staples on the right] with no indication of the roadway changing its name heading toward the Polo Grounds.
4) In any event, I think it’s safe to conclude New York Street continued at least as far East as West Road, which was as far East as Camp Mills extended (Mitchel Field and Camp Mills overlapped between Oak Street and West Road).
5) In all my years of research, I have never found any evidence to suggest an alternate name for New York Street as it veered Eastward past West Road. Can anyone provide a street map from the post 1919 decommissioning of Camp Mills and the pre 1927 Base Reconfiguration of Mitchel Field? Calling Bill Bellmer!
From Update #2: In Search of the Mystery Camp Mills "New York" Road
Aw shucks Frank, Brian and I went today instead (Sat). Something came up for Sunday. We avoided the cloverleaves and concentrated the woods south of the LIE service road and west of Shinbone. All we found was one small chunk of limp concrete on the south. They pretty much wiped the slate clean during hwy construction. We also completed the Bagatelle tour and found more posts. Will send Howard all findings and their locations once I gather it all together. More tours coming up in the near future….
From Update: Pilgrim State Hospital Complex and the Motor Parkway in 1938
These construction photos are incredible!
From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Construction Equipment of the Long Island Motor Parkway
I remember as a kid there was WW1 liberty truck restored in the Gulf oil livery . On the ATHS site someone posted a picture of what’s left of it, not much pretty sad. Are there any photos of it,or specs. I would like to know the history of it for my own curiosity. I just remember she looked grand when I saw it in the museum. Thank you sir
From Never Before Published Photos of the Long Island Automotive Museum
Frank, that sounds great. What time are you going meet? I’ll see if I can make it.
From Update: Pilgrim State Hospital Complex and the Motor Parkway in 1938
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