SKU: 72268561606

In the Shadow of the Dam: The Aftermath of the Mill River Flood of 1874

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In the Shadow of the Dam: The Aftermath of the Mill River Flood of 1874Early one May morning in 1874, in the hills above Williamsburg, Massachusetts, a reservoir dam suddenly burst, sending an avalanche of water down a narrow river valley lined with factories and farms. In just thirty minutes, the Mill River flood left 139 people dead and 740 homeless and a nation wondering how this terrible calamity had happened. In this compelling tale of a man made disaster peopled with everyday heroes and arrogant scoundrels,

Early one May morning in 1874, in the hills above Williamsburg, Massachusetts, a reservoir dam suddenly burst, sending an avalanche of water down a narrow river valley lined with factories and farms. In just thirty minutes, the Mill River flood left 139 people dead and 740 homeless -- and a nation wondering how this terrible calamity had happened.

In this compelling tale of a man-made disaster peopled with everyday heroes and arrogant scoundrels, Elizabeth Sharpe opens a rare window into industry and village life in nineteenth-century New England, a time when dam failures and other industrial accidents were widespread and laws favored factory owners rather than factory workers. In the Mill Valley, the townsfolk depended upon generally benevolent patriarchs who assured them that the dam was safe, when most people could see that it was not.

The story of the Mill River flood is the story of those townsfolk: of George Cheney, the dam keeper whose repeated warnings about leaks in the dam had been ignored by the mill owners; of his wife, Elizabeth, who watched in disbelief as the dam burst open from the bottom; of Isabell Hayden, the mother who saw her young son swept away in the river's torrent; and of Fred Howard, a box maker who spent the days after the flood searching for bodies, burying friends, and waiting to see if the button factory he relied upon for his livelihood would be rebuilt. It is also the story of the well-meaning but overconfident businessmen who built the dam: of Onslow Spelman, the manufacturer who dismissed the dam keeper's flood warning, irrationally insisting that the dam could not break; of Lucius Fenn and Joel Bassett, the engineer and contractor whose roles in the construction of the dam would be questioned during the public inquest into the causes of the flood; of William Skinner, the factory owner who struggled to decide whether or not to rebuild his silk factory in the village that bore his name; and of many others.

The flood highlighted class divisions between worker and owner, as well as the disorganized state of professional engineering, then still in its infancy. As the flood exposed the dangers of allowing mill owners -- who were not trained engineers -- to design their own dam, legislation to regulate the building of reservoir dams in Massachusetts was enacted for the first time. Engineers, politicians, and business owners battled over control of the reform measures to prevent similar tragedies, yet saw them continually repeated.

In the Shadow of the Dam is the story of an event that reshaped a society. Told through the eyes of villagers like Collins Graves, lauded as a hero for his desperate ride through the valley to warn people of the impending flood, and industrialists like Joel Hayden Jr., entrusted with the responsibility of disaster relief despite his culpability in failing to maintain the leaking dam, In the Shadow of the Dam is a history of our uneasy relationship with industrial progress and a riveting narrative of a tragic disaster in small-town Massachusetts.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 08/10/2007
ISBN: 9781416572640
Pages: 304
Weight: 0.99lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.68d
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SKU: 72268561606

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dawn
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 3
still searching for a truly indestructible dog chew toy
Color: Hedgehog
My smallish dog (15 lb Boston terrier) got this chewed up within a half an hour. I didn't notice right away that he was also eating the parts he chewed off. Didn't last a day. Otherwise, quick shipping for a cute toy.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2026
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Mena
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
Good size for my pug!
Color: Dentachew 3 Pk
I love how it’s a good size for my pug it is easy for her to play around with. I had stuffed animals for her to play around with but it looked so silly to watch her play with something that is 10 times as big as her 😂. I had to buy her these toys and she seemed so happy when she first got them. It was so funny and interesting that she had to chew all three toys and decide which one she liked. At first she decided to play with the rope toy and she liked the rope toy, then she got curious with the rubber toys. She has decided that the rubber toys are her favorite and I’ve tried to engage with playing with her with the rope toy. She gets more interactive with the rubber toys! She also looked so relieved while chewing them so that’s a plus!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026
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Lindap
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 4
Good for Teething puppies
Color: Teething Stick
After getting my fingers chewed and bitten by my new foster - 8 week old Yorkie , I was desperate to find good teething toys. Fortunately this one arrived quickly. Turned out to be very good for teething puppies! Charlie loves this cooling stick. Once it’s frozen, the cold really seems to soothe his sore gums. The icy part doesn’t stay frozen for long, but it works so well that I bought a second one to keep ready in the freezer while he’s working on the first. Even after it warmed up, he still enjoyed chewing on the soft stuffed part and the tentacles. The product card says not to use it as a chew toy, so supervision is a must, but it held up just fine so far. Overall, this has been a big help during the teething phase — short-lived when frozen, but very effective while it lasts! And worth every penny to save my fingers from being a chew toy.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2025
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Amanda Rogers
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
From Puppy Teething to Adult Favorite – 7 Years Later
Color: Teething Stick, Color: Teething Stick
This has been one of the best toys I’ve ever bought! My dog has loved the Pupstages Cool Teething Stick since she was a tiny puppy, and now at 7 years old, it’s still one of her absolute favorites. It’s been amazing for soothing teething when she was little, and now she still enjoys chewing on it and carrying it around. It’s held up surprisingly well over the years, especially considering how much use it’s gotten. I also love that you can cool it for extra relief—it really helped during those puppy stages. If you’re looking for a toy that lasts and actually becomes a long-term favorite, this is definitely it. Highly recommend for both puppies and even older dogs who still love a good chew! 🐶
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2026
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Stefne
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for little dogs that like to chew
Color: Hedgehog
Great for my 10 lb chihuahua that loves to chew! Keeps his teeth clean!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2026

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