Vanderbilt Cup Races

An amazing historical Motor Parkway photo never seen before! Otto McCamish was in the right place at the right time here. Thank you Mr. Cruickshank for sharing this gem to everyone.

From Updated: Mystery Foto #17 Solved: The Meadowbrook Polo Club Bridge over the Motor Parkway

This is a test PDF upload in the comments:

From Eddie Rickenbacker and the Vanderbilt Cup Races

At first, I thought that a “hot air attachment” was an accessory that could be added to a car to heat up the passenger compartment (early cars did not have hot-water heaters). I think John has the right answer. Here is more detail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carburetor_heat

From Kleiner's Korner: Automotive Tests on the Motor Parkway

Cool cars

From Update: From the Thayer Family Album: Four Photos of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Michael Cain, Regarding snow removal on the Parkway. Early on the Parkway had it’s own maintenance and repair crew that did light snow removal. For heavier accumulations outside contractors were hired. In the mid-1930’s they were laid off and thereafter any necessary Parkway related maintenance and repairs was done by the male toll collectors on an as needed basis for which they were compensated .The snow removal photo with Otto McCamish is such an example. There was one major exception though. In late January 1936 there was a heavy snowfall in the area and Vanderbilt had Kienzle close down the entire Parkway until the end of February. I’m sure it was financial decision.

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

A lot of cars with carburetors and even fuel injection routed hot air from the exhaust to warm the carb or incoming air

From Kleiner's Korner: Automotive Tests on the Motor Parkway

Is “Over the seven seas” available as a DVD?
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Howard Kroplick

I don’t believe so.

From "Over the Seven Seas": A Film Starring William K. Vanderbilt II

Thanks, Al. Makes absolute sense.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway Bridges & the Nassau County Board of Supervisors in 1907 & 1908

That’s okay, Bill. Your name is what remember- George Cruickshank. My brother Rob McCarthy ( I’m Brian ) remembers you too. And Rob was saying maybe you have a brother that worked for the company, too? Rob was a serviceman in Hewlett, then Hix. He eventually went into overhead lines, now he’s in Project Management ( Transmission/Substation). I’ve been addicted to Motor Pkwy stuff for 20+ yrs now : )

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Taken from a 20 page pamphlet put out by the The Wright Flying Field in 1916.  Classes cost $400 paid upfront.

From Mystery Foto #99: The Wright Flying Field in Mineola Circa 1916/1917

Yeeks!  Better late than never!  The Wallis Bird link took me back to your auction posts and I see I was ‘way off on that Mercedes.  Look at the double Mercedes stars on the radiator shell - that makes it a pre-merger car, probably 1927 or possibly early 1928 and so a Mercedes S-modell, NOT a later Mercedes-Benz SS, which sported the present wreathed M_B logo.  As to the Crosley link, I suggest that his cars deserve far more than a mere sentence.  HK - since you are now a seaplane buff, you might enjoy this Fleetwings Sea Bird video: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_KNbIjc4tU>  Sam, III

From Updated: The 1940 Membership of the Long Island Aviation Club

Michael C.
There’s some upcoming posts that will shed some light on that and maintenance of the parkway.

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Approximate location of the LIMP Meadow Brook Lodge in 2020.

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

My grandfather Romolo Caparrelli, who was a resident (lived on Villa Street) in Roslyn, worked on a restoration of the grist mill about 1920 when it was intended to be used as a tea house.  I believe he applied stucco to the exterior. His initials were in the stucco by the front entrance. I was told that he put a glass jar or container of some kind in the wall with various contents. 
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Howard Kroplick

Very cool! His RC initials are still there! We will search for the jar!

From The Restoration of the Roslyn Grist Mill (Updated: February 27, 2020)

Art, Wonderful details about the Parkway’s bridge building petition, I believe it was their first of several.  I’m curious though why the petition included the Old Country Rd. bridge and not the Clinton Rd. bridge.  The only reason I can come with is that around the same time there discussions about a new alignment for Clinton Rd. I think it is pretty obvious why the Parkway petitioned for the other four bridges at that time, they all are over county roads on the Parkway portion of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup race circuit.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway Bridges & the Nassau County Board of Supervisors in 1907 & 1908

Greg, The McCamish family photo captioned 1936-1937 has Otto with a smirk rather than a smile. I think I know why.  At he time of the photo his pay was $30.00 a MONTH until the Parkway closed. but all the toll collectors did live rent free in the lodges.

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

James C. Reddig was Ass’t. Chief Engineer for Grover Loening Aircraft Company when he joined the Aviation Country Club c. 1930. After the closing of Loening’s business, he designed the stainless-steel Sea Bird amphibious aircraft for Fleetwings, in Bristol, PA.

From Updated: The 1940 Membership of the Long Island Aviation Club

Nearly the same location as the mystery photo but with additional livestock.  From The Motor World, August, 1908.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: The Motor Parkway West of Merrick Avenue Under Construction in 1908

Frank,  The toll collector in the photo you put up is Sidney Jones, the first at the MBL. Note the lack of landscaping.

From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge

Art, Brian, Re: Citizen Objection. Their protests actually had to do with 2 bridges,  the one over Round Swamp Rd. and the one over Clairmont Ave. The issue was the clearance was to be only 12 feet, which was the Parkway’s standard. The complaint basically came from those involved with the heavily concentrated pickle works, brick manufacturers and also farmers in the area. Very concerned were the pickle processing plant at the south east corner of Clairmont Ave and today’s Bethpage Sweet Hollow Rd. On the south west corner there was a brick kiln plant. Both depended heavily on those two roads for cucumbers and clay delivery’s and the 12 foot bridge clearances would create problems in that regard. In the end the clearance’s were raised to 14 feet at Clairmont and 17 feet at Round Swamp. Brian,  the Parkway never considered going under Round Swamp Rd because of the higher elevation on the east side of that road.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway Bridges & the Nassau County Board of Supervisors in 1907 & 1908