He made a mill-pond by damming up the Tip])ett's Brook, and setup a grist and saw-mill. In 1704 there were about twenty families in the Yonkers. The Belts and Tippett families partitioned their tract in 1717, and gradually sold it off to new settlers. Agriculture was the chief industry, and the farms were noted for choice fruits and fine breeds of cattle. Produce was carried to market in periaugers. Stone quarrying was engaged in before the middle of the century.

The main highways were the Albany and Boston post roads -- the former opened to the Saw-kill about 1609, and the latter opened on the line of the Old AVestch ester Path to East Chester about 1()71. The travel by land was almost wholly on horseback. The common roads were very poor. The mail to Albany was carried by foot-post. That to Boston was taken by post-riders once in three weeks, which time was shortened in 1731 to once a fortnight. The stagecoach to Boston began running in 1772.

The Fkee Bridge. -- The King's Bridge was unpopular because of its tolls; also its barrier gate,which made the belated traveler furious as he shouted to awaken the drowsy gate-keeper several rods away. A po])ular subscription was started in 1756 for building a free bridge. Benjamin Palmer' headed the movement, and when enough was subscribed, he attempted to build it where the first bridge had stood. Colonel Phillipse, who owned the shore on Paparinamin, naturally objected. Palmer had to go farther down the Harlem. He interested with him Jacob Dyckman, on the island, and Thomas Vcrmilye, on the Westchester side, and they began the work from land of the former to that of the latter. Colonel Phillipse, " because he knew it would stop his bridge from taking tolls," tried to prevent its construction.