The story of the founding of Silkville, Kansas, in 1870 by a French aristocrat

NPR | By Diantha Parker,

Matthew Algeo

Published May 10, 2026 at 7:12 AM CDT

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A French aristocrat moves to Kansas and founds a silk-making socialist utopia. Then things get weird. The story of the founding of Silkville, Kansas, in 1870.