AMERICAN PHOENIX

This is the remarkable story of millionaire William Skinner, who made his fortune as one of the founders of the American silk industry and then lost everything in a devastating flood in 1874. Yet from this setting, to quote the Boston Sunday Post, Skinner staged “one of the greatest comebacks in the annals of American industry.” Sarah S. Kilborne brings to life a lost moment in American history.

In 1845, a penniless young man named William Skinner bought a steerage ticket on a boat that took him from the slums of London to the United States. With nothing but the head on his shoulders, a lifetime working the meanest tasks at a silk factory, and a job offer from a family friend, Skinner set off on a journey to a new world. Because of his unparalleled knowledge of dyeing and his uncanny business sense, Skinner quickly rose to prominence in the new luxury industry. After only a few years, he took over an ailing silk factory in Massachusetts and turned it into one of the better known brands of American silk. Skinner was lauded internationally as a titan of the industry, and soon his business grew to sustain a bustling community filled with men, women, and children all living and working in his factory in a town called Skinnerville.

Then on the morning of May 16, 1874, thousands of gallons of water burst through the dam of the Williamsburg Reservoir in Massachusetts a few miles north of Skinnerville. The flood tore down the valley below it, utterly decimating fourteen miles' worth of towns, villages, farms and houses to leave 150 people dead and 800 more homeless, causing over a million (1874) dollars’ worth of damage. The destruction of Skinner's factory village was by far the most severe of any in the valley, with all but one building swept completely away. Before the hour was up, Skinner's entire life's work had been washed away.

In this gripping narrative history, Sarah Skinner Kilborne tells the unforgettable story of William Skinner, the luxury industry that he helped build, and the devastating flood that nearly destroyed everything. It is an inspiring American story-- a town, devastated by disaster, that struggled to build itself up with the unprecedented support of the entire country; an industry that had no reason to succeed except for the perseverance of a few intrepid entrepreneurs; and a man who had nothing building a life for himself--twice--with only his mind and his reputation.

Sarah S. Kilborne grew up on the coasts of both New England and Southern Florida and hails from a long line of sailors, which she credits for putting storytelling in her blood. She’s a writer for both children and adults, with a special interest in history and sharing true stories from the past that can inspire the present. In her spare time she plays the banjo with various groups, belting out numbers that tell a good tale. She lives along the Hudson River in upstate New York.