During a beach walk along Croton Point's north shore, the author discovered old bricks embedded in concrete, stamped with "IX" and "XL" markings. These artifacts originated from William A. Underhill's brickyard at the point's northern end.

The bricks bore the "IXL" stamp, representing a marketing strategy meaning "I excel" at brickmaking. Some displayed Underhill's initials (WAU) instead. The burned appearance suggests they were rejected pieces later incorporated into early 20th-century cabin foundations along the north shore.

The article references a historical advertisement from The Clay-Worker promoting the "I. X. L. 'SPECIAL' Brick Machine," manufactured by William Edward Tallcot (born 1852). Tallcot's father, Richard D. Tallcott, operated a brick manufacturing company at Croton Landing and connected to the Underhill family through marriage.

An 1868 map depicts "R. D. Tallcot Steam Brickyards" at the northern tip of Croton Point. A contemporary 1890 account described the area as a "quiet hamlet" where inhabitants had "industriously digging up the fields and pressing the soil into bricks," leaving landscapes resembling war-torn terrain.

The author reflects on how beach discoveries represent only fragments remaining after significant landscape transformations throughout Croton's industrial history.