Thank you all for the helpful information. I did not know about the Farm Museum or the Queensborough Library. I re-read my original letter that I sent to the list...I will have to clarify that the Swiss Familys DID NOT own the Estate. They lived and farmed there ,but they rented it. I do believe there must have been some sort of agreement that the owner benifited by the farming arrangement. They were there for almost 20 years farming the land, The only reason they moved was because of the Cross Island Parkway being built thru the middle of the land. Most of our Swiss Relatives who farmed, started by renting the land. Apparently That was the way it was done in the 1900's. The food grown there was sent to Brooklyn Market, to feed the City of New York.. This had been previously done by Horse and wagon and then later by Truck. I don't know if you ever saw the trucks of that time. Hours in travel to the market. Pat Cornelius Long Island, NY Yesteryears@aol.com