Vanderbilt Cup Races

Gram’s GPS tracking for the day

From Greg O's Garage: Then & Now: The 1906 Course (Update 1/18/23)

The photographer is in Williston Park, standing on some of the last remaining drivable parts of the Motor Parkway in Nassau County.  The photographer is facing west and is just west of the town pool (not shown).  We are about 600 or 700 feet east of where the Willis ave LIMP bridge was.  The Motor Parkway straightaway here and some of the marked parking spaces shown on the sides in this picture seem to corroborate my guess.  On May 18th, 2003 the town of Williston Park placed a historical marker on the east side of Willis ave and held a dedication ceremony on that day.

From Mystery Friday Foto #2 Solved: A surviving section of the Motor Parkway off Willis Avenue in Williston Park

thanks for sharing us and in future I hope you will write more like that ones

From Video of the Week: Ferrari F1 Pit Stop Perfection

Neat photos.

From A 1924 aerial of the Garden City Hotel

Below is a few areas in Suffolk County where the LIE severed or covered over the original LIMP. From west to east - Dix Hills, Brentwood, Hauppauge, and Central Islip. Wanted to utilize the Suffolk County GIS Aerials for this, but the website seems to be out of service. Courtesy of Historic Aerials.

From LongIsland.com: Crazy Facts About the Long Island Expressway

Williston Park

From Mystery Friday Foto #2 Solved: A surviving section of the Motor Parkway off Willis Avenue in Williston Park

  Location:  Garden City looking easterly and nearby is LIMP Headquarters and the
Garden City toll house.

From Mystery Friday Foto #2 Solved: A surviving section of the Motor Parkway off Willis Avenue in Williston Park

Mark, I believe the quest to know what existed before present-day will always draw interest for some, but not all. 100 years from now the present landscape will change again, further drawing new interests, and for later generations to come….

From Greg O's Garage: Anatomy of the 1906 Hairpin Turn

Awesome video!  Thanks for sharing!  My father owns the model 70 Stanley with the model a bumper.  Model a bumper is long gone, but still have the James Melton headlights with the big crack in one of the mirrors.

Regards,

Chris

From Film Part I- VMCCA 1942 Antique Auto Derby "50 of America's First Cars"

Al,

I think that’s just cloud cover.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension

Howard, Was the Meadowbrook Parkway portion super imposed on the photo ? Look at Stewart Ave., the western portion is darker or is that just sun light into shade ?

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension

Amazing details by Lee Chambers and George Philippides. Love this historic website!

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension

I wonder if 100 years from now anyone will ponder whether #1 Wheatley Road is the original house at the hairpin turn of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Will there be access to VanderbiltCupRaces.com?

From Greg O's Garage: Anatomy of the 1906 Hairpin Turn

Mark- It is. Stopped by after leaving Howard’s earlier.
Also, passed by the new (2017) house at #1 Wheatley Rd. for the last photo.

From Greg O's Garage: Anatomy of the 1906 Hairpin Turn

looking west, northwest over hempstead plains - garden city, mineola, carle place
roosevelt field mall is there and the meadowbrook parkway is finished - 1956-59
motor parkway is gone - curls around the back of the mall and continues through the middle of photo
mitchel gardens, lilco tank, clinton road, old cc railroad with tressel visible in the the middle of the on ramp to the mbrook.  zeckendorf blvd, stewart ave

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension

Brian. I appreciate the screen shots. I think that the brick building is one of the Old Westbury Water Dept. well buildings.

From Greg O's Garage: Anatomy of the 1906 Hairpin Turn

Looking forward toward’s this week’s answers. I think I got it this time!

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension

The photographer is over East Garden City facing west.
Approximate year would be between 1956 and 1962 as the Meadowbrook parkway is built and operational- and Macy’s can be seen in Roosevelt field but Gimbels, built on the north end of Roosevelt field in 1962, cannot be seen. I don’t see the Roosevelt Raceway grand stands, which went up in 1957, so I guess 1956 is my final guess.
Remnants of LIMP can be seen just south of Roosevelt field, by Ring road then running parallel to Meadowbrook PKWY and Stewart Avenue
Major roads include Stewart Avenue, in lower left, Merchants concourse in the bottom crossing over MBPkway on to Stewart Ave, Meadowbrook PKWY and Zeckendorf in the distance with bridge over parkway
Major buldings/structures include Stewart School in upper left ( I can see the trees, the school itself is less clear, but since I attended Stewart School , I know that it was there then), the Lilco Gas Tank on Stewart Avenue, the A and P warehouses next to the tank and General Bronze, across the street from the Gas Tank. Hoping someone can identify the buildings in the near field on Stewart Avenue- I know that the Garden City Bowl was around there in the late 60s, not sure about the late 50s. Also, you can still see some airplane hangars along Old Country road top right I believe. Great photo. Thanks

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension

I know, enough with my screenshots lol : ) The section angling southeast towards Wheatley & Old Westbury Rd is evident in 1950. Then bird’s eye views of that area today and of the intersection of Wheatley & Post Rds. Building just south of Morgan Dr is owned by the Village of Old Westbury. On Streetview, it’s brick and doesn’t appear to be a residence.

From Greg O's Garage: Anatomy of the 1906 Hairpin Turn

We are looking roughly east-northeast over the Meadowbrook Parkway and Stewart Avenue in E. Garden City / Westbury / Uniondale. Based on the newness of the parkway and Roosevelt Raceway construction the date is probably late 1956 around October of that year. The LIMP runs at a diagonal (east-west) to the right of Mitchel Gardens housing development. Other roads are: Ellison Avenue-Avenue “C”- Endo Blvd.; Zeckendorf Blvd.; and Linwood Av. / Kenwood St. / Willow St. in Mitchel Gardens. Other buildings are: the just completed Roosevelt Field Shopping Center; three old hangars from Roosevelt/Hazelhurst Airfield and the LILCO gas tank.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: A 1956 aerial over the Meadowbrook Parkway Extension