May 03 2021

Mystery Foto #18 Solved: Motor Parkway officials at the Jerusalem Road field office circa May 1908


Garden City Archives challenged you to solve this weekend's Mystery Foto.

Answers to the Mystery Foto questions:

Identify:

  • The location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer

Looking north on Jerusalem Road (now Stewart Avenue in Bethpage).

  • The buildings in the background

The Jerusalem Road field office and workers' shanty for the Motor Parkway.

  • The approximate date of the Mystery Foto

April-May 1908- Prior to the ground-breaking ceremony on the nearby Barnes Tract on June 6, 1908.

  • What were the officials scouting?

Either they were scouting the site for the ground-breaking ceremony  or progress for the Jerusalem Road Motor Parkway Bridge.

Comments (6)

Congrats to Greg O., Brian McCarthy,  John Cunningham, Frank Femenias, Steve Lucas, and Dick Gorman for solving the Mystery Foto.

Kudos to Brian McCarthy and Frank Femenias for submitting jpeg support.

Enjoy,

Howard Kroplick


Close-Up


Comments

Apr 30 2021 Greg O. 9:15 AM

-The location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer

Jerusalem Road.

-The buildings in the background

Chief Engineer Brown’s temporary headquarters.

-The approximate date of the Mystery Foto

May 1908

-What were the officials scouting?

Recognizing A.R. Pardington and Jefferson De Mont Thompson, I recall they were scouting a location for the groundbreaking ceremony.

Apr 30 2021 Brian D McCarthy 10:09 AM

I’m linking this foto to one of the photos from the Clinton Robertson Album. The Field Office & Workers Shanty viewed north, west side of Jerusalem Rd Central Park. The Field Office sign isn’t mounted yet, but seen in Clintons photo. They must’ve been scouring the construction of the LIMP in early 1908.

image
Apr 30 2021 John Cunningham 11:59 AM

The field office at the groundbreaking site in bethpage.  Looking north on stewart ave.  approx 1908.  surveying the site of the jerusalem ave bridge. 

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/surveyor_clinton_robertson_photo_albumthe_motor_parkway_engineering_field_o

Apr 30 2021 frank femenias 11:42 PM

Looks like the Motor Parkway field office at the Barnes’ Tract in Bethpage (Central Park), also the location of the Ground Breaking Ceremony site of June 6, 1908. Photo is looking north on old Stewart Ave (Jerusalem Rd). Admiring all the wide-open spaces of early Long Island. The officials are walking towards the future ceremony site behind the photographer. Motor Pkwy will be built just behind the photographer as well. Photo taken about May 1908.
Below: 2020 image 113 years later.

image image
May 01 2021 Steve Lucas 11:15 PM

This photo was taken looking north on Jerusalem Road (now Stewart Ave.) slightly north of the Central Branch of the LIRR in Central Park (now Bethpage). The buildings were the temporary field office / engineers office for the construction of the LIMP. The photo was probably taken around May, 1908 since the officials (including A. R. Pardington) were scouting for a good location to hold the LIMP ground-breaking ceremony on June 6, 1908.

May 03 2021 Dick Gorman 12:08 PM

Mystery Foto #18… The photo location is at Jerusalem Road (now Stewart Avenue in Bethpage) looking south. The buildings shown here are temporary headquarters of Motor Parkway Chief Engineer Brown and the Field Engineer’s Office. Approximate date is May 1908. Officials are scouting location for Motor Parkway ground breaking ceremony which would happen on June 6, 1908.

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