Vanderbilt Cup Races

Just as an aside pertaining to a so called “Lovers Lane”, a number of years ago while exploring Dead Man’s Curve in Bethpage on an early June Sunday morning, I came across a parked car on the Motor Parkway roadway, just north of the curve.  Approaching cautiously I saw from a distance two young adults (I believe a male and a female) sleeping in I believe the back seat in party attire.  Not venturing any further I turned around so as not to be accused of being a peeping Tom (or Art).  I realized afterwards it was prom season and that that Lovers Lane might have been the end of a couple’s night out.  But I remember most proms ended with a night at the beach, not the Motor Parkway!  Have a nice day!

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

I can definitely see the loop as a lover’s lane/rest stop; even today (113 years later) remains a secluded area. Don’t know if the loop ever came to fruition but as Greg noted, it’s now a water sump.

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

Sounds good Al.

Just realized the panoramic map is viewed south. LIMP didn’t extend here yet. At the bottom is Westbury Ave, known as IU Willets Rd today.

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

Brian,  Another possible reason for the loop is that the Parkway had sites off the roadway designated as picnic areas, never been able to pin point exactly were they located, At times the night shift Parkway police on motorcycles referred to the areas as “lovers lanes”

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

I’m imagining that the loop may have been an informal area for LIMP travelers to park then take the trolley northward, being that the LIMP terminated at Jericho Tpke. They of course would have to return for their vehicles and pay the LIMP toll.

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

Wow, great finds Art. These pics were buried deep and inaccessible to most, including myself. Thank you for sharing these gems.

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

Since the Nassau County Review article of 12/6/1907 mentions “other buildings and garage”, maybe this could have been the place for a possible automobile service station.

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

Updated above with 3 pdfs. from “The Automobile Magazine” of May and June, 1901.

From Updated: Long Island's First Major Automobile Competition: The 1901 100-Mile Endurance Test

Looks like the area by the dotted line loop off the LIMP was never sold for private homes and is possibly a rainwater collection sump.

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

Great post Art. Nice to see this Mineola book posted.

From Kleiner's Korner: Mineola and the Motor Parkway, 1908

Nice going, guys. Two more stories concerning Willie’s “White Ghost”.  First is from the New York Times (June 2, 1900) and the second is from the Oyster Bay Guardian (Dec. 11, 1970).  The latter published the story in a column named “Do You Remeber? 70 Years Ago”.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: 1900 Daimler Phoenix previously owned by Willie K.

“...Surf City, here we come.”
Regarding Motor Parkway reconstruction projects of 1940, two projects come to mind:
1. The removal of the Motor Pkwy/CRR bridge near Bell Blvd, with a new installation of the greenway bridge over Bell Blvd, still there today.
2. The installation of the Francis Lewis Blvd greenway bridge, splitting the bike path from the Motor Pkwy forever. This path would be changed again in 1963 to accommodate the new Clearview Expwy.

From Kleiner's Korner: And Now For Something Completely Different: Part 3 (Motor Parkway 1931 - 1940)

“I got a ‘34 wagon and I call it a woody…”

From Kleiner's Korner: And Now For Something Completely Different: Part 3 (Motor Parkway 1931 - 1940)

Thanks, Al.

From Kleiner's Korner: And Now For Something Completely Different: Part 3 (Motor Parkway 1931 - 1940)

Art,....A minor correction, Sheridan Bowling Lanes was (and still is), located at the south east corner of Jericho and Sheridan Blvd. which opened in September , 1940. The San Su San nightclub was located on the east side of what is now the parking lot of the Lanes. San Su San opened in January 1933, had another fire in 1978, closed then, 45 years later. Prior to this parking for bowlers was on the southwest corner of Jericho & Sheridan.

From Kleiner's Korner: And Now For Something Completely Different: Part 3 (Motor Parkway 1931 - 1940)

Need some advice on how to sell a car? 1908 Nassau Sweepstakes winner Charlie Easter can help.  Easter sold automobiles for nearly 50 years, first Franklins in 1905, then Loesers in 1907 and then Buicks in 1908 which appears he sold at least through the 1950s.  So I guess he knew what he was talking about.  From “Automobile Daily News” Aug. 13, 1961.  There is a discrepancy however, in the account given in the Tanya A. Bailey book above and the article shown here.  The books states that Easter moved to Berlin in 1949 however the article doesn’t mention that.  I would have thought that would have been mentioned.  Can anyone clarify?

From Driver of the Week: Charles Ewing Easter -Winner of the 1908 Jericho Sweepstakes

The car is a 1900 Daimler Phoenix 23 HP, (Later nicknamed the White Ghost).
The car’s first owner was William K. Vanderbilt Jr.
Edward R. Thomas purchased the car from Vanderbilt. The car is considered notorious because Willie K cut the speed record between Newport and Boston to about half the previous record time. Only slightly slower than railway travel time.
As for the link to Cole Porter, the second owner of the White Ghost was, as mentioned above, Edward R. Thomas. He married a woman named Linda Lee. She later divorced him and then married Cole Porter.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: 1900 Daimler Phoenix previously owned by Willie K.

I didn’t know that Willy K lost a son. After looking this up, his daughter Consuelo lived a very long life ( 107 yrs old )

From Helck Family Collection: Original Transcript- "William K. Vanderbilt, Jr."

My Dad Morris A Poehler was a electrical engineer on the Alva, he was on the world cruise. Dad was involved in working at the Vanderbilt mansion. He courted my mom on the Alva, I had the pic of this.

From One of Yachting's Dozen: William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s Alva

Dave, Sam III’s 1950 aerial comparison in 4Aug2019, and Art’s FOIL documents.

From Dave Russo re-explores a Bethpage section of the Motor Parkway