Vanderbilt Cup Races

12 Gatekeeper’s were part of the plan, too. The lodges were still going to be in use. Mr. Vanderbilt didn’t want them to lose their jobs of course. Lodges could’ve also graduated to a like a rest stop for coffee & snacks. But the lodges became homes for the keepers, so.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 1 - The Motor Parkway "National Advertising Mart"

Hi Alex - We all add our own experiences with the Motor Pkwy here. Look through the blogs, think go back to 2008. Also many images here on the site. Any information that you may have is most welcome.

From Sam Berliner III: A 1970 Walking Tour of the Motor Parkway in Queens

Today, there’s many types of businesses along Vanderbilt Motor Pkwy in Islandia, Central Islip, Hauppauge & Commack.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 1 - The Motor Parkway "National Advertising Mart"

Howard, I remember that crash. I happened in the late 1950’s and the plane crashed on one of the Parkways. I think it was on the way to Mitchel Field. I spoke to the pilot and he said he was out of fuel looking for “Vanderbilt Motor Parkway” to land on because he knew it was abandoned and somewhere in the area.

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

1 10/16/1958 Southern State Parkway

2 Plane ran out of fuel

3 driver of car died

4 USAF C123 and Pontica

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

This plane crash happened on October 15, 1958. It crashed onto the Southern State Parkway while falling 1/2 mile short of an emergency landing at Zahn’s Airport in North Amityville. The USAF Fairchild C-123-6 was heading to Mitchel Field when it ran out of fuel. One fatality and five with minor injuries. Amazing that this plane went through an underpass which sheered off most of the 119’ wingspan and tail fin.

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

How can I help out with the VMP ?

From Sam Berliner III: A 1970 Walking Tour of the Motor Parkway in Queens

How can I help out with the VMP?

From Sam Berliner III: A 1970 Walking Tour of the Motor Parkway in Queens

10/15/58.  C-123 troop carrier.  Southern State Parkway.  The plane was enroute to Mitchel Field and had tried to make an emergency landing at a small airfield nearby.  One motorist fatality, six others injured.  The pilot survived as seen in the photo.

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

I think the vehicle is a late model 1940 or early 1950 Pontiac

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

I agree with David’s comments. The parkway was intended to provide a scenic route to the countryside as an alternate to the slower and poorly maintained existing roads of the era. I appreciate the author’s creativity but I don’t think this concept would be the answer to saving the Motor Parkway.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 1 - The Motor Parkway "National Advertising Mart"

date: 10/15/1958. location: Southern State Parkway near Zahn’s Airport in No. Amityville.
Cause: Ran out of Fuel
Injured 5 (or 6 depending on source)
Fatality 1-male motorist
Plane: Fairchild C123B-6-FA Provider
Car: 1954 Pontiac

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

Date: 15-OCT-1958
Time: night
Type: Fairchild C-123B-6-FA Provider
Owner/operator: United States Air Force (USAF)
Registration: 54-0614
MSN: 20063
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities: 1
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: North Babylon, LI, NY -  United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Robins AFB, GA
Destination airport: Mitchel Field, LI, NY
Confidence Rating:  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative: Emergency landing on Southern State Parkway at night after ran out of fuel. Collided with three cars, killing one driver. Six others injured.
from the aviation-safety.net website

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

Ad in Suburban Life Magazine of Oct., 1910 featuring the Mackey greenhouse.

From Harbor Hill- The Roslyn Country Home of a 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Spectator- Clarence Mackay

I see a familiar face standing immediately behind the fellow in the red shirt. One I see in the mirror every day! The Cadillac was ( may still be) owned by my friend Paul Memi of Brooklyn. It was sold new to someone in Oyster Bay who lived just north of Northern Blvd.  and west of Rt. 106.

From Greg O's Garage: Long Island Motor Parkway Plates mounted on vehicles

October 15, 1958, Southern State Parkway, Lindenhurst/North Babylon
Insufficient fuel after being in a holding pattern.  The official Air Force investigation resulted with the pilot, 29 year old First Lt. Gary Moulson being blamed. 
Harold J. Schneider of West Islip was driving on the parkway and was killed when the plan crashed.  Damages of $55,000 were awarded to his wife and $7,500 to his daughter.  Three Air Force personnel two other female motorists were injured. 
The plane was an Air Force cargo plane - a Fairchild C-123B-6-FA Provider.
Guessing the car was a Rambler or a Nash.

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

  Yes, very well done. your little bits of history about anything that there to be had that people never even knew about.

From Video of the Week: The Vanderbilt Museum presents Moments in History: The Alva, A Ship for Seven Seas

That’s a 1953 Pontiac and a Fairchild C-123B-6-FA Provider after an encounter on the Southern State Parkway near Zahn’s Airport in North Amityville on October 15, 1958. The plane was heading for Mitchel Field from Georgia, ran out of fuel, and was trying for an emergency landing at Zahn’s but didn’t make that either. The plane hit two other vehicles also. One motorist, Harold J. Schneider, was the only fatality but three USAF men on the plane and two other civilians were injured.

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

The date was October 15th 1958.  A Fairchild C-123B-6FA Provider plane had left Dobbins air force base from Georgia and was set to land at Mitchel field.  It attempted an emergency landing at Zahn’s airport in north amityville but it came down on the southern state parkway in north babylon after it ran out of fuel.  It skidded several hundred feet and even slid through an underpass.  The aircraft had a 119 ft wingspan and passed through a 50 ft wide underpass, shearing off both outer wings, the port engine and vertical fin.  It collided with 3 cars, killing one driver and injured six others.  The car looks like it was a 1953-55 Pontiac Chieftain.

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

The idea for strip malls before strip malls were a thing.  Interesting.  A little too far ahead of it’s time though.  Also, as originally designed I don’t think the motor parkway was set up for this.  The right of way may not have been wide enough.  In 1935 this may have been one idea to try to save the motor parkway from insolvency and irrelevance.  3 years later the parkway would close.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 1 - The Motor Parkway "National Advertising Mart"