Vanderbilt Cup Races

Howard, here’s the working link for the PLI Newsletter that connects, so you can use it in your blog (the one there now isn’t connecting). Its
https://preservationlongisland.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/PN-Fall-2017-for-website-upload.pdf

From The Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races -Fred Wagner- Rediscovered in Smithtown

Thank you, Howard, for all your help in the successful effort to place The Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races, Fred J. Wagner, on the National Register of Historic Places! The New York State Review Board for Historic Preservation unanimously approved his home for the State Register on June 13, amazingly, the 150th Anniversary of Fred’s birth in 1869. Designed by Gustav Stickley, Fred’s home qualified under three criteria, notably Criterion B, as nationally significant “for its association with the life of Frederick J. Wagner of national and international auto racing fame.” Officially cited as the ‘Frederick and Annie Wagner Residence’ (Annie was Nancy’s nickname), both the Stickley rectory and adjacent church (originally built as St. Patrick’s R.C. Church) belonging to the Byzantine Catholic Church of the Resurrection in Smithtown, are now listed on the National Register. Many thanks, Howard, for your blog picturing your great collection of materials about Fred, all cited throughout the Register Nomination I prepared. Thank you for helping to preserve Long Island’s historic treasures in Smithtown!  P.S. As you suggested, I’ve bought a checkered flag. To borrow a line from Field of Dreams, if I wave it, will the auto shows come?

From The Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races -Fred Wagner- Rediscovered in Smithtown

As long as this came alive again, I took more time with the second blow-up; the inscription reads:  “- COUPE VANDERBILT - 1904 - / Le Match - GABRIEL - LONG ISLAND RAILROAD {sic} - / au passage á Niveau d’Hicksville” [at (the) crossing in (the) neighborhood of Hicksville].  Sam, le Troisième

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Since we don’t know the bridge, we don’t know the year, by we DO know that the entire Hempstead Plains section was built between 1908 and 1911, so no possible 1929 LIACC or its hangars, nor Camp Mills.  I have good recipes for crow (and have eaten my share) but I can all but guarantee this is a PARKWAY bridge!  In my not-at-all humble opinion, some of you are wasting your time looking for matches to highway bridges.  Selah!  I have spoken (yes, I live dangerously).  :·)  Also, look at the precision with which the left-hand ditch was cut; amazing - and unlikely for just a country road.  C’mon, guys.  Fu’ther, what IS that thing on the right horizon, just above the fence crossbucks?  I spotted it instantly as Westbury Station but the present two-story building wasn’t built until 1914.  ???  Sam, III

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Great picture looking west at the grandstand area and the pits before they were built. Sometime around early 1908. You can see the layout for the pressbox on the other side. Looking into the distance is the Newbridge road bridge and the Newbridge Hotel. Also in the distance is the Westbury Road Bridge and the Ladenburg Farm windmill in the background.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved:A View of the Motor Parkway looking West from the Officials' Stand/Press Box

-Where is the location of the Mystery Foto and orientation of the photographer?
This photo was taken looking West from the Press Box/Officials Stand in the Hempstead Plains (now Levittown.)

-Which Vanderbilt Cup Races were run in this section?
1908, ‘09, ‘10

-Identify the significant buildings and Motor Parkway structures
Newbridge Rd bridge,The New Bridge Hotel on Newbridge Road

-What was the appropriate month and date of the Mystery Foto? Provide a rationale.
October 1908 LIMP completed, but race not run yet.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved:A View of the Motor Parkway looking West from the Officials' Stand/Press Box

Tom, thanks so much for providing this information!

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Possibility of Bloomingdale Rd - maybe not so unlikely that the photographer was positioned south of this Hwy Bridge during construction. The boundary fencing on both sides of the Bloomingdale south of the LIMP could have extended to the ROW fencing east & west. Being that the parkway built the bridge, doing SOME road paving on both sides seems like a good idea, but certainly not the ENTIRE roadway.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Thanks Brian - makes sense since so much of what I’m looking at (and the surveys in Howard’s possession) use the term “station”.  This info. will help identify some locations and structures I’ve had a hard time determining.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Revisiting the Transformation of the Motor Parkway into Salisbury Park Drive

Although blurry, this may be in the early stages of the bridge.

From Garden City Archives: The "Snake Turn" of the 1908-1910 Courses of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Fred, 

I just came upon your Vanderbilia photo, with the question about your silver box.

This was cigar box that was created in the 1990s by the London silversmith, Glynn Lambert.  It is silver plated box with a mahogany interior.  The image that Glynn etched into the top is his interpretation of the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup pochoir art that Montaut displayed in his book, “10 Ans de Courses 1897-1907”.

As far as I know, only 2 of these boxes were created.  I own the second.

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Interesting info Art, thank you. ‘Station’ is used in the plans here, and I thought it was strictly a LIMP construction term. Defined as a unit of measurement between points in surveying.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Revisiting the Transformation of the Motor Parkway into Salisbury Park Drive

Mike - yes, always fun to be near what I am researching.  Brings it a bit closer to home.  Very interesting what was there before - makes you wonder what changes will take place over the next 100 years or so.

Al - thanks.  Bob Reed according to some searches on google was a firefighter with the East Meadow Fire Department who the day after fighting a lumber yard fire died of a heart attack.  As you know there is a fire house on that triangle: very appropriate as a memorial.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Revisiting the Transformation of the Motor Parkway into Salisbury Park Drive

Thanks Al Prete. You saved me the research!

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Revisiting the Transformation of the Motor Parkway into Salisbury Park Drive

Bloomingdale road looking north is another great guess. This photo could be looking north due to subject brightness. If so, the object in the distance at right cannot be the LIACC hangars. Those hangars belong more west and on the left of photo, 3/4 miles away from the bridge. If said hangars are really a plume of train smoke, that places the LIRR mainline about 1.5 mi. north from the bridge, very close to what’s seen in the photo. But why are they fencing in Bloomingdale Road, they should be fencing in the LIMP below the bridge. And the bridge railings don’t match the 1908 race photo below looking NW. Great post, my baldness progresses with much a-head scratchin’. Can’t get enuf!

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Today Gasser Avenue, which forms one side of a triangle between Carman Avenue and Salisbury Park Drive, is known as Bob Reed Lane.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Revisiting the Transformation of the Motor Parkway into Salisbury Park Drive

Brian, no, the photo has not been cropped, its all there. also, regarding my comments about the Camp Black barracks, Bill Belmer. the Garden City historian tells me there were no barracks, only tents.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

I’m sure this research was fun for you Art since you live within walking distance.
I remember the maple trees that remained near the Newbridge Road Bridge abutment. When I was a kid most of the wooden fence rails were still intact during the mid 1960’s. Thanks for the great documents. We now know the Salisbury Park Drive was paved during the late 1950’s.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Revisiting the Transformation of the Motor Parkway into Salisbury Park Drive

September ‘08, great photo!!

From Mystery Foto #43 Solved : A 1955 View of the Motor Parkway in Levittown Looking West

Think I set a record for the amount of times for agreeing & disagreeing with myself over this classic photo. Strongly feel this is a parkway bridge, not highway. Definitely a true right curve. Think we all see the steam engine w/plume . Fairly certain that’s a water tower in the further distance of the train. Are we seeing the full size of this image, or was it cropped somewhat?

Do notice the row of structures to the left that Al points out. Camp Black was bordered by Clinton Rd to the west, Old Country Rd to the north, and the Central RR. Hazelhurst Field was here afterwards. So they were north & east of the LIMP. Clinton Rd Bridge would have to be curving to the left, to make sense in my mind anyway.

Photos from the Clinton Robinson Scrapbook clearly show the poles for the trolley feed on either side of Westbury Ave, with a pole in close proximity of the bridge. Just don’t see evidence of this in the image.

The Meadowbrook Pkwy Bridge design is very convincing viewing East. The train would be eastbound on the Central line. But there should be in view the trees and windmill on the Ladenburgh property to the center & left.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve