Update: Greg O’s Discovery: The McCamish Family and Their Time in the Meadow Brook Lodge
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Mystery Foto regular Greg O. (Oreiro) discovered in April 2020 a treasure trove of Long Island Motor Parkway photos from Bill Cruickshank, the grandson of toll collector Otto McCamish. Update March 20, 2021: Bill has forwarded two more lodge photos.
Here is the story behind Greg's discovery and the second post of Greg's guest series based on interviews with Bill Cruickshank.
Special thanks to Bill Cruickshank for sharing his family's photos and stories!
Be Safe, Stay Healthy, Save Lives,
Howard Kroplick
Greg O.
While glancing at Long Island History pages on Facebook, I had a serendipitous encounter with Bill Cruickshank in the comments section that featured a Motor Parkway photo.
Bill's grandfather was Otto McCamish, a toll keeper with his wife Parnelle at the Meadow Brook Lodge from the 1920s until the Parkway's closing in 1938. After the Motor Parkway closed, Bill's grandfather Otto purchased the lodge and the property, planted his flag and raised his family there. He owned the building until it was sold and demolished in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Otto moved to Florida to retire around 1960 and lived there until he passed on September 24, 1978. He is currently at rest at Calverton Nation Cemetery with full military honors. He is described by Bill as a warm and caring man always devoted to his family.
Following a long telephone conversation, Bill, a retired LILCO worker before moving to North Carolina in 2006, informed me that he had many photos and colorful stories of his family during their time in the Meadow Brook Lodge. He was kind and generous enough to share them with me and enthusiasts of the Motor Parkway. The wonderful photos and information will be a welcome addition to Motor Parkway lore. Bill's family photo collection may provide several new Parkway discoveries and fill in missing information about the Lodge and the McCamish family. In this series of posts, I will document his family, stories and photos with Bill's incredible new material, never before seen by Motor Parkway historians and the public until now.
Second in the series: The McCamish Family and Their Time in the Meadow Brook Lodge
Update: March 20, 2021
Greg O.: Both photos appear to be when the Motor Parkway was still in operation.
Bill's Uncle Wallace and friend climbing the Meadow Brook Lodge in the late 1930's.
A fun story Bill mentioned to me in an email involving his Grandmother, mother and his Uncle Wallace; "Pernelle and my mother Doris was in Brooklyn walking down a street turned a corner and collided with Babe Ruth. My mother got knocked down but wasn't hurt so he autographed a baseball and gave it to my grandmother. Well, some years later my Uncle and some friends needed a baseball to play a game and just like the movie Sandlot my Uncle got the ball so it was used got beat up some...Not sure what happened to him but my grandfather was able to use a pen to rewrite the signature which came out pretty good. I've seen the ball and my cousin Karen's daughter has it. True story ."
Otto McCamish on the right enjoying some relaxing times in front of the Lodge with a childhood friend. Being from Kentucky, they appropriately look like they're both waiting for their Mint Juleps to go along with their pipe and cigars. Noting the condition of the lodge in the background, we see Otto's flagpole without the future lattice at the rear of the port cochere. By that, we can assume this is just after the closure of the parkway in 1938.
Bill's sister Carol at the lodge sometime during World War II sporting a very patriotic outfit. Also notable; by this time around 1943/44, was how inviting the shady porte cochere looked to lounge around in during the warm summer months.
Otto and Pernelle McCamish during cooler times out front. Date unknown.
Bill's mother Doris and sister in front of the lodge in 1943/44.
Of note in the photo is the flag with the stars in the window, as Corey Victoria Geske noted in the comments section of the first McCamish post; "...one of the two stars represented the little girl’s father serving his country during World War II. The Blue Star Service Flag was first designed during World War I by an Army Captain from Ohio whose two sons were on the front line; and in 1917, service members’ families were encouraged to display this ‘Badge of Honor’ in the front windows of their homes, with the saying, “Do as Col. (Theodore) Roosevelt does at Oyster Bay.” For those who lost sons or daughters in WWI, ‘The Gold Star Mothers’ service organization was formed in 1928. During WWII, ‘The Blue Star Mothers of America’ was organized in 1942 and chapters formed that same year in nine states including New York. Both service organizations for Gold and Blue Star Mothers continue today as does recognition of Gold Star and Blue Star wives. At Meadow Brook Lodge, all three generations – a Blue Star mother and her WWI veteran husband; and two Blue Star wives with their children—living under the same well-built roof, show the spirit of a tight-knit American family surviving tough times."
Loving Grandparents Otto and Pernelle holding their Granddaughter Carol in front of the lodge also in 1943/44.
A great view of Otto's flag flying proudly in front of the lodge.
Bill Cruikshank; "[his Grandfather Otto] put the flag upside down by mistake and Tommy the cop came to the toll house to make sure all was ok, which it was." Bill continued to say; "During World War II [while Otto was painting insignias on airplanes] the parkway house was being used by the pilots as a landmark when they were flying."
View of the family and lodge in 1931. Left to right: Wallace, Otto, Doris
There is a very interesting discovery in this photo that I noticed. Otto did not buy the lodge as their home until seven years later when the parkway closed in 1938. What struck me is looking on the left side, he had already expanded the lodge by that point. In lieu of a larger salary, Lodge keepers were allowed to live in the lodges with their families rent free. What we see here is that not only was offered free rent, but the Motor Parkway had permitted expansion to the Pope designed lodge.
Comments
Nice story, Greg! I just noticed the “Salisbury” sign in the last picture. Wallace is hiding the other part of the sign, wonder if its an arrow.
Thanks Art! I was so focused on a few other aspects of the photo, I somewhat missed that myself. My ex-wife and I had a house in Salisbury near the corner of Carmen and Stwewart, that is the direction it would be in, so you’re right, most likely a directional arrow.
______________________________________________
Howard Kroplick
Greg, it is likely the sign was pointing to the nearby Salisbury Country Club:
https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_11_can_you_identify_this_flight_over_long_island
Greg, Otto McCamish dd not build the addition onto the lodge. That extension is the bathroom the Parkway added the lodges (at no cost to the lodge keepers), once there was municipal water lines in abutting streets. (late 1920’s-early 1930’s) At the same time basements were dug under the lodges to accommodate hot water tanks, furnaces, etc.. If there were sewer lines in the streets, they were hooked up. If not, cesspools were built. At this time the out houses filled in with expired motor parkway license plates, old toll tickets, their deputy sheriff badges, and all kinds on Motor Parkway signage and other memorabilia.
Thanks Al! I remember our conversation about the addition but did not add it in assuming your explanation would be better conveyed here in the comments.
Doubtful it could happen today as most of the sites have been built over, but it would have been fun to conduct an ‘archeological dig’ where the outhouses used to be to possibly recover the materials used to fill the voids.
Greg Regarding your comment about a toll lodge “archaeological dig” , might have one for you. When the Garden City Lodge was being moved, a good friend of mine and a a die hard Parkway buff, said he figured out where the out house used to be. He tried to get permission to dig for it but was refused. He is convinced it was never disturbed and is located some where on the front lawn of the home that was built. I’m sure if you were to pay for his air fare from Florida, he will be glad to share that information.
I always enjoyed looking thru old photo albums, even if I didn’t realize who they were in the photos. Curious about the small building beyond the hedges - Otto’s Flag Flying Proudly. It was his workshed, the view is East. Courtesy of Joseph Burt below.
Brian, The Joseph Burt photo you posted…. the building was built by the Parkway as a garage at no cost to the lodge keepers. You can see the top half of the building in the flag pole photo that Greg posted.
Amazing info here, complimented with never-seen-before photos. The plumbing hook up to Merrick Ave from the lodge involved costly 400 ft of digging/piping, likely including sewage!
Very interested in the buried treasure at the Garden City lodge vicinity, The out house was likely located east of the lodge, secluded from any view. An out house location south of the lodge would put it in plain sight of LIMPer’s entering the lodge ramp (unacceptable). It seems now a brick driveway around the former GC lodge site, with a possible helipad included, just west of the former porte cochere. I would still want to meet Al’s friend from FL, for his knowledge and experience with the Long Island Motor Parkway.
Frank, Regarding your statement about the 400 foot plumbing run to the Meadow Brook lodge. I’ guessing Otto got a cesspool. Let me play the devil’s advocate here. I’m wondering if sewer lines were ever run on Merrick Ave. between Old Country Rd. and Hempstead Tpke. prior to say, 1945. Other than the lodge and the Salisbury Country Club there weren’t any other buildings in that stretch. Any one?
Don’t forget the Mineola lodge at 284 Rudolf; the owner I met in 2000 said that when he rebuilt the house, the toll window’s inside framing was removed, disclosing hundreds of toll tickets that had been slipped in through the gap. Not knowing what they were, he, of course, dumped them. Waaah! :·( Sam, III
Greg/Al—if this archeological dig ever happens I’m in!
I met the owner of the GC toll lodge a few years ago, she is VERY aware of the history of her house and she made it clear to me that preservation of her house and history are very important to her. I think if this “dig” were proposed from a historical standpoint and any damage would be repaired, I think she would be on board.
Is the proposed dig site on the lodge property or is it on the property of the newer house at the end of the block?
Dave - the proposed dig site is at the newer house at the end of Vanderbilt Ct today. But as Greg commented earlier, I doubt the archaeological dig will ever happen. New
construction has enveloped the old stuff over the years, including the old out house. But I’m always optimistic. I never give up
Found among files from the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport are documents from Willie K. and A.J. Kienzle, General Mgr. of the Parkway relating to the various lodges. Here’s one announcing the closing of several lodges, including Meadow Brook effective Dec. 1, 1934. Letters were sent to lodge keepers, including Otto McCamish.
Unpleasant letter to receive just before the holidays winter’s cold! To reduce costs they kept the outer toll collections in full operation at Rocky Hill and Huntington lodges, with only three more in Mineola, Garden City, and Bethpage. So any weekday from Dec 1935 - Apr 1938 one could travel from the Great Neck lodge to Meadow Brook lodge (8.50 miles), or to Massapequa lodge (13.75 miles) free of charge. I wonder how they resolved that issue. Perhaps Officer Zinze at Massapequa had additional tasks to perform.
Frank, The layoffs in 1935 lasted only until April that year. All the lodges from Rocky Hill to Huntington, with some short exceptions, remained opened until the Parkway closed in 1938. The only free portion was east of the Huntington if you accessed the Parkway EAST of the Huntington Lodge. If you did find a way to access the Parkway with out paying, you could not get off at a lodge location with out surrounding a paid toll ticket. More info in my book.
Thanks Al, excellent Motor Parkway info as always. I couldn’t see how the layoffs would allow effective toll collection while gatekeepers are resting inside Monday through Friday. Thank you for clarifying.
I talked to one of the McCamish
Many years ago they told me A few good stories
About their family living there years ago.
Looking at one of the pictures of them on the roof
Reminds me that he said they used to watch the fireworks
from the top of the roof of the lodge
I remember my father (Bill Cruickshank) telling me about the motor pkwy house when I was younger,but really did not know a lot about it and what my Great Grandfather did,I knew he worked at Republic but not much about a toll keeper and seeing these photos for the first time,If you saw my fathers picture collection of the family you would understand why I never saw them. I want to thank you for the great article and interest in my family’s partake in the history of the motor parkway. My Gr.Grandfather,his wife,both his children and my grandfather are all in Calverton now together again
Thank you Ryan. Be proud of, and remember, your families part in Long Island history!
Thanks to your father, there’s more photos and documentation of one of the more least known lodges than ever before.