Saundra Middleton

I was raised in the idyllic town of Sitka, Alaska. As a free-range kid, I enjoyed many days exploring the nearby forests and seashore giving me a lifelong love for nature. But alas, adulthood catapulted me off the island looking for new adventures. Living in Kirkland, Washington, I learned about Peter Kirk and our shared history. After a few years, I moved back to Alaska where I received my Bachelor's degree in English, worked in an industrial bakery, and raised two wonderful daughters. I continued my research into Peter Kirk's history, including traveling to England to learn about his ancient family in his home town of Chapel-en-le-Frith and his professional career that blossomed in Workington. The more I learned, the more I knew I had to write his story.

For example, I was intrigued by the many patents Kirk registered for new rail designs and the machines that produced them. He sought any way possible to run his Moss Bay facility with efficiency. At one time he ran 26 of his 30 steam engines from the residual heat of the blast furnaces where the ore was smelted, saving countless tons of coal that normally fueled them.