About
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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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
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Recent Comments
Great find and connection, Greg! This must be Bill Cruikshank that I know of from LILCO. We’re different generation, I began working for the company in 1987. When I became part of the Electric Service Dept in early 1990’s, I believe Bill was a supervisor in the same department, different location. He’d remember I as “the mechanic” in Hicksville. What a neat surprising connection with the LIMP, Bill! Very glad You and Greg discovered each other!
From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge
Lodge keeper Otto McCamish is tall and slim in the photos. Could this be Otto in the photo below?
From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge
WOW!!! Fantastic collection of photos and information! The left arrow says “New York” and right arrow says “Ronkonkoma”. Check out Bill’s mother Doris’ 1929 snow sled. What a ride that must’ve been speeding down the graded entrance ramp! Looking forward to seeing more. Thanks Greg, and Bill Cruickshank for sharing these photos and history of your family and the lodge.
From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge
Looks like a 1940 Packard
From Greg O's Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge
Mystery Foto #16… The automobile in the Mystery Foto is a 1911 Franklin Model D Torpedo Phaeton. The Franklin company made engines that were used in modified form in the Tucker 1044. And like this Franklin car the Tucker car was originally called a Torpedo.
Photo likely taken 1911 or 1912.
From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914
Mayhap this is a good place to contrast the 1936 (what a nightmare!) and 1937 course maps. Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: An Aerial of Roosevelt Raceway and Westbury Circa 1937-1939
Not to mention $7 parking behind the clubhouse, Tom. Thanks, Howard - O forgot about the midgets. Odd, that course map shows Whaleneck “AVENUE”; I always thought it was “Road” and Merrick was “Avenue”. Too lazy to check all my many maps. Anyone? Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: An Aerial of Roosevelt Raceway and Westbury Circa 1937-1939
Infield parking $2.00, a little pricey, $5.00 reserved!
From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: An Aerial of Roosevelt Raceway and Westbury Circa 1937-1939
Great Neck Lodge entrance
From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914
Almost certain Lakeville Rd, Lake Success, looking north at the uphill left curve. Willie K’s Deepdale Estate main entrance (Lake Rd) intersecting at the curve (map link below). Looks like a 1914 Franklin model M. Lakeville Rd bridge built 2 years earlier just behind the photographer. Curious to know if the iron fence ran the entire perimeter of the huge estate.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f&ll=40.76242863058968,-73.70533662474782&z=17
From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914
Hmmmm. Not so easy this one is.
I say it is NOT Rosyln, Meadowbrook or Mineola, no bend in road.
I say it is NOT Garden City or Bethpage, we would see the bridge.
I say it is NOT Huntington, we would see the trolly tracks.
It looks nothing like Massapequa.
I am going with Great Neck. Looking north on Lakeville Rd. The bridge would be just behind the person with the camera.
-joe o
From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914
-Identify the location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer. Provide a rationale. Hint: Amazing “Then & Now” images will be posted on Monday night.
Looking North up Lakeville Road in Great Neck/Lake Success at the entrance to the GN lodge
-If possible, relate this location to the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
A few connections. Lakeville Rd part of the 1905 course. Willie K’s Deepdale is to the left. Down the road and on the left is the location of Maple Cottage, HQ for the Locomobile team in 1905 and 1906.
-Identify the automobile and relate it to Tucker 1044.
Guessing a Renault by the engine cover. Relation may have to do with recent sale of the Renault Vanderbilt Race car, but all just guesses without research.
-When was the Mystery Foto likely taken?
Another guess here, but maybe sometime around 1910
From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914
Franklin
From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: The Lakeville Road Entrance to the Great Neck Lodge in 1914
What really hit me (again) as truly amazing is that the Grey Wolf was a successful racing phenom. only 18 years after Karl Benz came up with his Patent Motorwagen, only 15 years after Klara Benz “borrowed” it for the first road trip, and only ONE year after the first Mercedes hit the road and Ransom E. Olds set up the first gasoline auto production line! We get so involved in the VCR and the LIMP that we sometimes forget to step back and get some perspective. The old race films are indeed exciting but look carefully into the emerging technology of the day, as described in detail by Jay Leno, just for example, and it is simply incredible! Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Documenting the Town of North Hempstead’s approval for the western terminus of the Parkway to be across from Wiilie K.‘s Deepdale estate. The ACA Club Journal of July 10, 1909.
From An Amazing Aerial of Deepdale Estate and the Marcus Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Lake Success
Great info Sam! She’s out there somewhere, rebuilt from her original parts! Amazing this Packard still lives today
From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race
From what I gathered here, Round Swamp Rd was originally planned as a Highway Bridge ( over the LIMP ) right up until the Citizens Objection 10/19/1908 ( 5 days before the VCR ). Fairly sure the road from Farmingdale to Hicksville is Round Swamp Rd. I then find it hard to understand that bridge work at this location would be undertaken with the race coming up ( Round Swamp Rd was part of the course ). There was work being done here, sounds like the objection put a halt to it. The Parkway Type Bridge here was built in 1910.
Westbury Pike - Merrick Ave?
From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway Bridges & the Nassau County Board of Supervisors in 1907 & 1908
R. Troy - I was WRONG! Yes, I freely admit it; I only just now stumbled on the full story, profusely illustrated, in the May 1974 Road & Track, SALON, pp. 83-87, in my PDF files. Those dark bands around the front and sides are nine copper tubes per side in lieu of a radiator. The car was wrecked in a race ca. 1915 and the engine and chassis were then separated. Reunited in 1940 and totally rebuilt from about 1964 through 1970, what you see today, while a major restoration, is truly the 1903 Packard Grey Wolf! Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Packard Gray Wolf Takes a Turn During the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Found this ad and thought of the mystery photo. From Motor Age, 1910.
From Mystery Foto #9 Solved: A Bleriot Monoplane Racing a Vanderbilt Cup Racer in 1910/1911
Interesting blog, Denny. Thanks for the link.
From "Roosevelt Field and Ye Motor Parkway" Executed by Artist Eric Sloane
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