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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Verified Purchase
David Pearl
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Effective & Attractive with Wireless Charging
Color: Blue, Color: Blue
This "valet" organizer, which is the first time I've heard that term for a product like this, is nearly perfect. For me, it checks all of the boxes and in a perfect world, I would have opted for a smaller piece with only three compartments for mobile, wallet, and keys. It's well made and quite attractive, especially the blue (favorite color, so I'm biased). The only feature I'm not a fan of is how the removeable, wireless charging pad was implemented, which sits up on a small lip at a slight incline. However, I'm not complaining one bit as the wireless charging is great, and it's a differentiator that determines the value of the piece. I would have preferred the pad be built into the piece, however the angle of it does make it easy to grab opposed to using your finger(s) to pry it up.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2024
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Verified Purchase
Devon Edgerton
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Great nightstand valet for everyday items.
Color: Black+Green
Nice valet to add to a nightstand. Conveniently spaced sections to hold everyday items. Charging pad works great
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Christine
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 4
Power Adapter Not Included
Color: Brown +Wireless
I'm initially impressed with this valet tray. I purchased two for my husband: one for his nightstand and one for his dresser, as he likes to keep things organized. We liked the idea of the wireless charging capabilities, but were a little disappointed to discover that the power adapter (wall plug) is not included with the tray. The tray includes a charging pad and a cord, but no wall plug. We don't have an extra pair in the house, so we'll have to wait until a pack arrives before we can test out the charging capabilities. That aside, the trays are a handsome set. I think 20% larger might serve us a tad better, but this will do very nicely for now. We're able to fit almost everything we need in the tray and that will leave the tables looking much tidier, even if one or two items don't quite make it in.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2025
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Verified Purchase
A Kisinger
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Great organization and a charger too!
Color: Blue
Pros: charge pad works well to charge not only phones but watches as well,materials are quality and the blue color is very appealing. Fits well on the night stand and has great sized compartments for items to stay organized. Cons: none that I can note
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Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2025
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Verified Purchase
Alisha French
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
3 year anniversary is leather
Color: Brown +Wireless
I bought this for our third year wedding anniversary, as a gift for my husband. The 3rd year is supposed to be a gift inspired by leather. The tray is very durable and has lots of compartments. My husband uses it on his nightstand to keep things that he has in his pocket when he empties them the end of the night. The wireless charger is very convenient, although he prefers to actually plug in his phone rather than wirelessly charge it. The charger cable itself is surprisingly of great quality. The leather isn’t too bad either. Good gift for the price point.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2025

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