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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
The fact that the fencing follows the upper road leads me to believe the upper road is the LIMP. Doubt it is Old Searingtown Rd. Was swampy with trees. This area void of trees eliminates so many places. Leaving Garden City and the entire Levittown/Westbury area left as candidates. The idea of the upper road being Bloomindale Rd is very interesting. But those fence posts just do not reconcile for me.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
The Clinton Rd bridge has the best WSW orientation as seen in the photo. The “bridge openings” below are part of the same array of cedar posts. When the group visited the Clinton Rd bridge a few years ago, there was little room on either side of the roadway suggesting a narrow RoW.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
2930-RD9 was a Phantom II sedanca de ville #21GN, coachbuilt by Charles T. Weymann of Paris in 1930. It was rebodied in 1938 by Coachcraft in London and it was probably scrapped/dismantled after 1954 because its engine was put into another PII #21GX and the car never resurfaced.
From Kleiner's Korner: A Light-Hearted View of the Automobile
Richard - thank you for you comments and the link to the Knox club newsletter and your article. Its a piece of research after my own heart! I’m sure your great grandfather’s cousin has read it many, many times. lol. Fascinating details and pictures. I’ve bookmarked the site and will definitely take some time to look at it closer. Thank you again. Art
From Kleiner's Korner: Vanderbilt "Dare-Devils" Caught on 1910 Film
The approaches of Bloomingdale rd as it goes over the LIMP are straight. In the mystery picture, the upper road is still curving as it goes over the lower road. The particular care the workers are giving to the road in question lends me to believe that it is indeed the LIMP as the upper road. It is odd that the right of way is so narrow though.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
The poll link did not work! This photo is dated 1908-1910. This is not a highway bridge. Note the extensive gutter work in progress for the roadway, extra work that Motor Pkwy Inc would not extend for Bloomingdale Rd development. Al Velocci has a point where the Right-of-Way is less than 100ft in this location, a rare occurrence on Motor Pkwy RoW. Al’s observation should narrow down the bridge location.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
Now, I’m noticing the safety railings for the Mystery Foto Bridge and Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge are obviously different styles. Now I know for sure that the Mystery Foto is not Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
I should’ve added the below images of Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge with my above comment. So the main image, then I zoomed in on each side to see the wire fencing along the LIMP to the bridge face. I don’t see wire fencing on either of bridge slopes, just safety rails along the top.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
I tapped the link for the Poll a few times, just took to me to the poll results so far. Tried tapping my choice, but nothing happened. My answer is the LIMP bridge over Clinton Rd, viewing northwest. Or viewing southeast with the image flipped.
On the poll, I see the Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge at the highest vote. Know the curve looks right and distant structures look convincing. But another thing I realized is about the Cedar Posts & Wire Fencing. The fencing is obvious on both sides of the parkway to the bridge. The image of the Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge with all the spectators - Cedar Posts & Wire Fencing on both sides of the parkway, ending at the face of the bridge. I don’t see any Cedar Posts & Wire Fencing along the slopes of the Hwy Bridge ( only the railings along the top for safety ) Those are my latest thoughts.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
Greg, Regarding the mystery photo, note that the cedar posts fencing is much narrower than the normal 100 foot wide Motor Parkway. There is only two, maybe three instances where the overall Motor Parkway ROW is less than 100 feet wide.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
Photo is looking mostly Southwest based on the shadows (photo below). Note the Motor Pkwy curve maintains all the way to the parkway bridge. Possibilities: Clinton Rd bridge, the illusive Old Searingtown Rd bridge, and the Little Neck Pkwy bridge. The background scene should solve this mystery bridge but it’s difficult indeed! If the image was flipped (unlikely), all above is incorrect
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
I wrote a series of articles for the Knox club newsletter a number of years ago detailing the 1909 accident at Indianapolis involving “Billy” Bourque (driver) and Harry Holcomb (mechanician). They were the first casualties at the speedway. Harry was my great grandfather’s cousin and they both grew up in Granville, Massachusetts. The article is at this link: https://knoxracing.blogspot.com/p/1909-indy-crash.html Charlie Merz is also mentioned in the above post; coincidentally my mother worked for him at Merz Engineering in Indianapolis.
From Kleiner's Korner: Vanderbilt "Dare-Devils" Caught on 1910 Film
The flat countryside void of trees makes me believe this is either Wantagh Avenue or Massapequa-Hicksville Rd bridges. Except those have no curve. NHP, Shelter Rock, IU Willets, Searingtown, Willis Avenue, Roslyn Rd, Hillside Ave all, I suspect, would have trees in the picture. Westbury Avenue, for me is a possibility.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
I remember this mystery, and it may never be truly solved. Originally Mystery Foto #45 11/11/2019 My guess back then remains the same. LIMP Bridge over Clinton Rd, Garden City. Viewed northwest Circa 1910 -11 Even the flipped image ( good thinking Steve Lucas ) still strikes as the Bridge over Clinton, just viewing southeast. LIMP is an arc curve in both directions, east and north. There are other possible locations, but my guess makes sense to me.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
I was there! A COLD WINDY DAY! In the second photo, I was doing my show and tell of the Black Beast that I know well by now. The group I was talking to were amuse of my coment about the Motor Parkway plate on the radiator as the first E-PASS of its day. After the quick walkarount I liked that ‘29-‘30 LaSalle.
From The Alco Black Beast Attends the Tobay Beach Car Show
Maybe its the Newbridge ave / Bellmore rd bridge in East Meadow.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
After staring at this photo for far too long and not being able to place it, I thought maybe there’s something wrong with the photo. It’s possible the photographer flipped the negative before printing so I reversed it (see attached) and I think we may have the answer: looking east at the Clinton Road bridge.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
Another stumper. My guess, based on the curve, being a LIMP overpass, and the general pattern of fencing both on the bridge and surrounding area, would be the Newbridge Avenue / Bellmore Road overpass, looking east.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
So sorry Howard to read about your injury while in Dominica(I love that island country, but can be challenging walkwise!)
Wishing you steady progress in your recovery.
Richard
From Update Sunday, 6/29/2025: Rehab Update: Rehab at 90% Healing
Could be any of a dozen spots, but my guess is the North Hempstead Turnpike overpass in what is now Fresh Meadows, Queens. That would probably be around 1927. If true, it would be a great photo.
From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location
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