CSI Report: Anatomy of a Rare Motor Parkway Photo
This photo is a rare, previously unpublished, undated image of the Motor Parkway in Suffolk County. The CSI (Cup Scene Investigation) team has documented this photo with an estimated 95% certainty and issued this report.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
The Evidence
Drivers needed to turn left for Deer Park, Babylon and Merrick Road and right for Centerport, Northport and Jericho Turnpike. Oddly, there appears to be no road to the right.
Assumptions: This is the Motor Parkway in the Dix Hills area with Deer Park to the south and Centerport to the North. Accordingly, the view was looking west.
The road on the left appears to end at the Motor Parkway.
Assumption: This was a southern entrance/exit to the Motor Parkway.
Another mystery: This sign reads "Stop Look East and West".
Assumption: Since the view on the Motor Parkway was east looking west, the sign was warning of a nearby parallel road.
Drivers needed to turn left to go to the Deer Park Speedway. There was also a racing event on Sunday, September 8.
Facts: The Deer Park Speedrome was in operation from 1928 to 1947. During this period, Sunday fell on September 8th in 1929, 1935, 1940 and 1946.
A diamond reflector was on the right side. The copy on the sign has not yet been deciphered by the CSI Team.
Assumption: Confirmation the intersecting road did not continue north.
The road turned left.
Fact: The Motor Parkway turned south just west of Deer Park Avenue.
A fire watch station can be seen on the hill in the background.
Assumption: There was a hill to the south-west of the location.
Additional CSI Evidence
Assumption: Based on the Deer Park signs and the location of the speedway, the three possible intersections on the Motor Parkway were Half-Hollows Road, Deer Park Avenue and Carl's Straight Path.
Fact: The most direct route from the Motor Parkway to the Deer Park Speedway (marked by the blue dot) was Deer Park Avenue.
Fact: As seen in this 1931 aerial, Deer Park Avenue (seen across the top of the photo) was the primary entrance to the Deer Park Speedway.
Fact: A 1928 aerial of Dix Hills rules out Half-Hollows Road and Carl's Straight Path based on the the road signs and the turn south.
Fact: The only parallel east-west road to the Motor Parkway in Dix Hills was, and remains, Candlewood Path near Deer Park Avenue.
Fact: As seen in this March 1910 survey, the Motor Parkway originally planned to build a lodge on the north-west corner of the intersection with Deer Park Avenue. The plan was changed to the south-west corner. Note: "Out" marked on the north-west diagram.
Fact: A 300-foot road parallel to the Motor Parkway was planned as an entrance to the lodge and Deer Park Avenue.
Although the Deer Park Lodge was listed on the south-west side of the Deer Park Avenue intersection on many maps, the lodge was never built.
Facts: A Motor Parkway Bridge went over Deer Park Avenue. It was the most easterly bridge built by the Motor Parkway. However, there were no entrance/exit ramps on to the Motor Parkway from Deer Park Avenue
Fact: There was a southern entrance to the Motor Parkway west of Deer Park Avenue.
Facts: There was also a possible southern entrance to the Motor Parkway east of Deer Park Avenue which became Candlewood Path. This path also had an entrance on Deer Park Avenue and ran parallel to the Motor Parkway in this area.
Fact:This aerial shows that the Deer Park Avenue Bridge had been removed by 1947. Moreover, there was an entrance on to Candlewood Path from Deep Park Avenue. Courtesy of New York State Archives-Digital Collections
Fact: Looking past Deer Park Avenue, the Motor Parkway heads up a hill and turns south in this 2012 image matching the mystery photo. Note: The valley topography in this area enabled the Motor Parkway to go over Deer Park Avenue.
Fact: There is a southern entrance to the Motor Parkway (renamed Vanderbilt Parkway in Dix Hills) at Candlewood Path.
Fact: Remnants of an abandoned section of Candlewood Path lead to Deer Park Avenue.
Assumption: This barrier was built in the 1940s to block traffic from entering Candlewood Path from Deer Park Avenue.
CSI Conclusion
Based on the above facts and assumptions, the CSI (Cup Scene Investigation) Team concludes that this photo is the Motor Parkway looking west in Dix Hills, most likely west of Deer Park Avenue. It was used to connect to Deer Park Avenue when the Motor Parkway bridge was still in use. Based on the Deer Park Speedway "Sunday September 8" event, the photo was taken in 1929, 1935, 1940 or 1946.
The same view in 2012 from location west of Deer Park Avenue. Note the matching topography and distances to the next turn in the Motor Parkway.
It may also be possible that the photo was taken east of Deer Park Avenue. This 2012 view of the Motor Parkway shows Deer Park Avenue in the background with Candlewood Path on the left. However, the next turn in the Motor Parkway is far in distance and does not match the CSI photo.
Congratulations to Joe DeBono and Kenneth Harris for identifying Deer Park Avenue as the location for the CSI photo. Joe and Kenneth, please send your email address to Howard@Kroplick.com and you will receive autographed copies of "Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island" and "Long Island Motor Parkway." Kudos also to Mike for posting a correct possible date fro the photo.
Comments
Howard, your information is always concise and VERY VERY informative….you do a great job of keeping everyone informed…......thanks again for your interesting emails…Dave (Association of Retired Police Officers) perhaps one day you could be a guest at one of our meetings and give a presentation to the 60-70 members we have at our monthly meeting at the NCPD PBA union hall…..516-624NYPD (6973) ......
Nice work by the CSI team!
Howard,
You never cease to amaze me. Every day, we seem to learn more and more about the Motor Parkway. Thanks for all your work.
Rog
Amazing . I used to drive this section(Ronkonkoma to Fox Lane almost every day in the 70s and 80s) those old pictures literally gave me the chills. Great work CSI team.
Howard thank you very much, And the next time I see you remind me to tell you why that side entrance or road, to the Motor Parkway (In that photo) with no toll lodge, East of the Deer Park Ave bridge was there for. Keep up the good work. Joseph(Motorpky)DeBono
From Dennis B:
“I can recall Candlewood Path having open access to Deer Park Ave until the mid 1960’s at the location adjacent to Deer Park Ave. I think they closed it after there were too many accidents, it was a very confusing intersection, especially after the 1965 or so widening of DP Ave. There is no doubt that the location is correct here… I also used to play at the abandoned DP Speedway and some old guy would shoot BB’s at us when he saw us on the property. It was redeveloped in the late 1980s.
You also could walk all the way to the LIE where the terminus was created at Half Hollow Road back then, I made my dad take me there when I was 5, just had to see it!”