Two days later Wynn, Blackbeard and the crew of the Plundering Porpoise set off on the journey across the Atlantic to Norway. After 3 weeks at sea, Bloodbeard was immediately summoned to meet the infamous Viking king, Ragnar Lodbrok. As he entered Lodbrok’s tent, Bloodbeard requested that Wynn be permitted to be seated at his side. Wynn didn’t say much because she had already advised the captain during the long sea journey.
A voracious book reader, Wynn knew about the Vikings love of honor and glory so she counseled Blackbeard to appeal to the heroic nature of the alliance. She told him to weave a tale of a legendary alliance that would ensure Ragnar would be greeted warmly by Odin and Thor in Valhalla. It worked. The alliance, instrumental in protecting vital maritime trade routes to New Jersey and New York City, earned Captain Bloodbeard accolades and ceremonial keys to the city of Secaucus and Hoboken. With the alliance secured, Wynn announced to the crew that her days on the Porpoise were over. Several of the pirates, privately, said that they saw Captain Bloodbeard wiping tears away with his eyepatch. But Wynn was on a quest to find her uncle and the rest of the captured contractors.
So with her newfound pirate swagger, Wynn negotiated passage on a Moroccan spice trader’s merchant ship to the Mediterranean by offering to secure safe passage on sea lanes controlled by her friends in the newly created alliance. Wynn spent a weekend in Casablanca as their guest. There, she meticulously documented in her journal the artistry of Moroccan tilework and their vibrant textiles as well as the warmth and generosity of the people. Wynn intended to go to Italy to study architecture, engineering and interior design at Politecnico de Milano. After 4 months she would leave to join Builders Across Continents, a charity that provides emergency construction assistance throughout the world. In the following 12 months, her new job would take her around the globe – first constructing a new school for children and a library in India, then to Nepal, where in the aftermath of a catastrophic lantern fly infestation, her team was mobilized to provide shelter for the affected communities. Wynn’s resilience and empathy resonated deeply with the locals, uniting them in hope and recovery.
She would oversee the preservation of prehistoric cave paintings near the Serengeti and aid locals in building sustainable water filtration systems in a remote village nestled in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. In Valparaiso, Chile Wynn advised the city council to approve funds to reduce crime by revitalizing hundreds of old structures simply by painting them with bold and vibrant colors.
She would miss the deep bonds she forged with every community she worked with, but with her year long commitment to Builders Across Continents now complete, she felt she was ready to return home. Wynn gained notoriety in New Jersey for her exceptional skills in planning, organizing and successfully completing projects in challenging environments. This, along with the counsel she provided Bloodbeard to secure the Viking-Pirate alliance, was enough to get
her on the radar of the famous general, Horatio Stevens, also a lifelong resident of what is now Hoboken, New Jersey. Stevens sent a message to her that a naval vessel would be willing to transport her to Castle Point. For Wynn, this was expected to be nothing more than a free ride home but for Stevens it was a recruiting trip.
Stevens greeted Wynn warmly even before she reached the ship. Onboard, he told Wynn stories she never heard of her grandfather and his dad’s friendship and how they built the first cobblestone roads in Hudson county together. For hours, Stevens told Wynn about their shared histories and love for Castle Point and New Jersey. He appreciated her respectful yet straight-talk honesty. Days later, after lots of rest and contemplation, Wynn agreed to counsel him if he agreed to find and free her uncle and those local contractors captured by the iron tyrant.
Stevens entrusted Wynn with critical construction projects that would safeguard the region against the threat of the malevolent Autonomous Prime and his iron army. The general’s most trusted contractor had a knack for making the impossible possible, and her extraordinary advice would end up being the secret sauce in General Stevens’ recipe for victory. One day, as Autonomous Prime’s mechanical monsters rumbled ever closer, General Stevens called upon Wynn for council. “Wynn, we’re in a tight spot” the general said, his brow furrowed. “We’re low on materials and resources, and the enemy is almost at our doorstep. What can we do?” After listening to the general intently for 20 minutes, Wynn unfolded a tattered blueprint and began to outline her vision. General Stevens nodded in approval. “That’s brilliant, Wynn.” The details of the plan are hazy however in his post military memoir, “Tanks and Tickles,” General Stevens credits his “contractor from Castle Point” with fortifying his defenses, by “constructing a wall of stacked barrels and bonded tightly together with hummingbird guano. It slowed down the enemy, which was key to our eventual victory!”
Wynn’s ability to instill confidence in inexperienced teams was most pivotal in fortifying New Jersey and New York City from their enemy. The teams she oversaw built innovative constructions— be they sturdy bridges, resilient shelters, or strategic defenses—which proved crucial in repelling the impending danger. With Autonomous Prime and his army retreating back to their rusty iron island home in defeat, Wynn did what she did best. She looked forward and asked herself how she could be most useful now.
And so goes this legendary (if not mythical) story of “the general’s contractor.” Wynn’s unique story serves as our inspiration. Drawing from it, a group of experienced contractors and home services professionals asked “how could we be most useful?”
What if homeowners could feel confident about their home improvement or repair project? What if homeowners were not just less stressed but actually enjoy their home improvement experience? That’s why The General’s Contractor exists. Whether it’s a kitchen renovation, a bathroom makeover, a new roof or electrical system update, our home improvement advisors will guide homeowners from planning to successful completion of a home improvement or repair project. Because you deserve to know that you can confidently navigate through to a wonderful home improvement success story of your own.
